The African Energy Chamber (AEC) (https://EnergyChamber.org) – as the voice of the African energy sector - has long-advocated for a multi-energy approach in Africa, whereby investments in multiple energy sources fuel industrialization and electrification. With 600 million people currently living without access to electricity and 900 million people living without access to clean cooking solutions, the continent requires all of its energy resources to address its energy crisis.

Yet, organizations such as the International Energy Agency (IEA) continue to perpetuate the myth that Africa can meet its energy needs without oil and gas. While an immediate shift to renewable energy may work in Western nations, this approach is not feasible in Africa. As such, the AEC is calling for an end to anti-fossil fuel narratives in Africa. Similar calls were heard at the 15^th IEA-IEF-OPEC Symposium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Tommy Joyce, Acting Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, U.S. Department of Energy, spoke with passion about oil and gas and its role in combating energy poverty in Africa. The AEC’s Executive Chairman NJ Ayuk participated at the Symposium, underscoring the need for an Africa-centric approach to energy development. Other participants that attended included Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy; Haitham Al-Ghais OPEC Secretary General; Jassim Al Shirawi Secretary General, International Energy Forum; Keisuke Sadamori, Director, Energy Markets and Security, International Energy Agency and US representatives.

Africa cannot adopt the same model as western nations have done in its energy transition, or the continent risks falling deeper into energy poverty. Given the continent’s reliance on oil and gas, its lack of requisite infrastructure to rapidly transition to renewable energy, its growing population and differentiated and complex energy needs, this approach would only exacerbate its crisis. South Africa, for example, Africa’s largest economy, relies on coal for 72% of its electricity. Operational challenges at its coal-fired generation facilities in recent years have plunged the country into an energy crisis, with load-shedding impacting business, industry and economic activity. Yet, South Africa, like many of its regional neighbors, holds the promise of a clean and affordable power generation solution: natural gas.  

Natural gas has been dubbed the fuel of the future in Africa. With over 620 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of proven resources and a significant portion of the continent’s basins still underexplored, gas monetization stands to power Africa’s economies, offering a low-cost, low-carbon energy solution. Gas-to-power projects would address the very energy crisis that has impacted its economic growth for years. It would also enable exports to regional neighbors such as Zimbabwe, which also grapple with lack of adequate energy supply.

Yet, the IEA has called for an end to new gas projects, citing the need to prioritize renewable energy utilization over this widely-available resource. The organization has claimed that existing oil and gas fields are more than enough, yet reality shows a vastly different story. One cannot look at South Africa and believe this to be true. The same can be said for Mozambique, which has been a regional leader in renewable energy through its hydropower projects. Yet only 40% of the country has access to electricity. Recent discoveries have placed Mozambique’s gas resources to upwards of 100 tcf, with major upcoming LNG developments offering a strategic opportunity for the country to boost domestic electrification. An integrated and diverse energy mix would work well in Mozambique, just as it would in Angola, Tanzania, Senegal, Mauritania, Republic of Congo and many more African nations.

Fundamentally, African countries are the best positioned to address their own complex energy needs. While oil and gas may be considered “dirty words” in Paris, London or New York, hydrocarbons present cleaner alternatives to the solid biomass and kerosene that 85% of Africans use to cook their food today.

“To help end energy poverty in Africa, global institutions like the IEA must cease perpetuating the myth that Africa can meet its population’s needs without fossil fuels or can afford to sacrifice economic development for externally imposed climate goals. Europe, the United States and China have made incredible strides in addressing malnutrition, life expectancy and disease by powering economic growth with uninhibited access to coal, oil and natural gas. Why can’t we?” NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the AEC, referencing the Symposium.