Despite holding more than 8 percent of the world’s proven natural gas reserves, Africa remains the world’s most energy-poor continent, according to a report.
Hawilti, a pan-African investment research firm, revealed this in its recent report titled “Gas for Africa” released on Tuesday.
The report says that Africa has the lowest per capita energy consumption in the world, while the average electricity use of a sub-Saharan African resident is lower than that of a household refrigerator in the United States (US).
When power is available in African countries, the report says it is often expensive, inefficient, polluting and unreliable.
The report added that domestic natural gas can help alleviate Africa’s energy poverty, but despite producing more than 6 percent of the world’s natural gas supply and holding close to a tenth of the world’s proven reserves, most of the African continent does not have access to its natural gas.
“Africa’s domestic gas markets remain underdeveloped or non-existent, especially south of the Sahara, and much of Africa’s abundant development of natural gas resources has been earmarked for export to the rest of the world,” he said.
According to the report, Africa needs gas to support the development of a resilient grid infrastructure.
This, he said, is necessary to integrate significant parts of renewable and distributed variable energy, without compromising energy security or economic development.
He added that African power grids, where they exist, remain largely weak and unstable, which is a bad mix for any meaningful integration of renewable capacity.
Grids need sufficient flexibility, the report says, and that means African power grids need to be expanded and reinforced with a reliable supply of power generation resources that are available in sufficient quantities and on demand.
He explained that while hydropower and geothermal are ideal options for generating frequency control and dispatchable power in East Africa, gas is an essential tool for most of the rest of the continent to build robust and flexible power grids.
In that sense, he said that the development of gas-to-power initiatives should be part of the process of building and expanding reliable energy systems that can integrate intermittent energies and pave the way for a low-carbon energy mix.
“Access to gas can provide stable electricity in countries that do not have low-emission alternatives and strengthen energy systems to add more renewable energy and begin to decarbonise the energy supply, displacing wood, biomass, charcoal and carbon. diesel.
“Developing domestic access to gas in Africa can provide the power needed today while building on the continent’s low-carbon and renewable energy future.
“By developing domestic gas markets and redirecting gas towards its own energy needs, Africa seeks to promote industrialization, create jobs, diversify economies, produce fertilizers to grow food, petrochemicals to make consumer goods and advanced products, and steel. and cement to develop modern infrastructure,” he said.
the experts speak
Meanwhile, speaking about the report, Mickael Vogel, Director and Head of Research at Hawilti, said: “We are delighted to provide stakeholders and policymakers with an overview of natural gas dynamics in Africa, and look forward to that is valuable in supporting dialogue and pragmatic actions to eliminate energy poverty.
ALSO READ: ANALYSIS: Mining for energy: Africa must seize the green moment
“As an Africa-based research and consultancy company, we will continue to highlight the diversity and complexity of African energy markets and view gas as a critical driver for the continent’s development and energy transition.”
Executive Director, African Energy CommissionRashid Abdallah, said: “Natural gas is a resource that has an important role to play in achieving socio-economic development and mitigating climate change in Africa.
“As part of a just transition, Africa requires gas to help eradicate energy poverty, providing electricity to nearly 50 percent of Africans, acting as a catalyst in providing clean cooking technologies to nearly a billion Africans, and creating jobs.
“Calls for an immediate end to all use of fossil fuels and the request that global capital investors stop financing gas projects will have a severe impact on Africa’s socio-economic development.”
Also commenting on the report, Africa Finance Corporation CEO Samaila Zubairu said: “The global energy market is in an unprecedented state of flux, opening up significant opportunities for gas exploration and development in Africa. .
“At the same time, gas is key to helping Africa end its energy poverty quickly and affordably, by providing an alternative to wood fuel, which would lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and preserve the forests of Africa, a valuable carbon sink for the world.
“Gas offers additional solutions to Africa’s food security challenges as a key source of critical fertilisers, while also generating the necessary export earnings to reinvest in renewable solutions.”