Algeria has the longest network of gas pipelines in operation on the African continent, indicates Global Energy Monitor ( GEM ) in a report published this month December 2022 and entitled: “The rush for African gas”.
The document states that Africa has about 31,555 km of gas pipelines in service. And Algeria has the longest network of gas pipelines in operation on the continent with 13,630 kilometers (km).
It is followed in the second position by Libya with a 6,243 km long network. Egypt, third, with a network of gas pipelines of 3,545 km, Nigeria, fourth, with a network of 3,200 km and Tunisia, fifth, with 1,105 km. With the exception of Nigeria, the other four countries with the longest gas pipeline networks in service are in North Africa.
23,932 km of gas pipelines are under development
Regarding the construction of regional gas pipelines, the same report indicates that Africa has a total of 23,932 km of gas pipelines under development. “However, most of the projects in development remain to be built, most of the projects being in the study phase, and only 1,872 km currently under construction”, notes the document, which specifies that Nigeria is the first builder of regional gas pipelines. with 1,427 km under construction.
The report highlights that significant gas pipeline projects under construction include the Trans Nigeria Gas Pipeline, which when completed will run from the Qua Iboe Gas Terminal to Kano Gas Terminal, Nigeria, and from there will connect with the current Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline. planned for the export of natural gas to Europe.
โPhase Oneโ of the project, the 614 km AjaokutaโKadunaโKano pipeline is under construction at an expected cost of US$2.9 billion. In 2020, the Nigerian government announced a sovereign debt guarantee of US$2.5 billion for the construction of the gas pipeline. The project is financed by a loan of US$2.6 billion from the Bank of China and a crowdfunding investment of US$434 million from the Compagnie du Gaz Nigรฉrien.
And to add: โAlgeria, Niger, and Nigeria have also resumed their discussions for the development of the Trans-Sahara gas pipeline. In June 2022, the three countries formed a working group for the project and chose a service provider to study the feasibility of the project.
The five countries with the most km in projects
The five countries with the most km in projects are Mozambique, South Africa, Nigeria, Niger, and Algeria, notes the document, which explains: “Nearly two-thirds of these constructions in the project would be used to exports to Europe, the rest meeting domestic demand and in some cases supplying refining and petrochemical sites which could also contribute to exports. ยป
South Africa has the largest number of gas pipeline projects in Africa, mostly for domestic use, with major projects linking the country to Mozambique and Namibia, says the Global Energy Monitor report, which estimates that pipeline projects in Africa would require US$89 billion of investment.
โOf this estimated capital demand, only US$4 billion is allocated to projects under construction, leaving US$85 billion associated with projects in the proposal stage. Mozambique and South Africa have the largest capital demand estimates at US$19 billion and US$17 billion respectively,โ the report details.
Sonatrach has 1,376 km of gas pipelines planned
“Companies that are prime contractors for the construction of gas pipelines in Africa are a mixture of governmental and private companies”, notes the same source, which specifies that “out of the total, governmental companies represent the majority in terms of km of gas pipelines under development. ยป
Thus, according to the same source, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, which belongs to the State of Nigeria, has 6,135 km of gas pipelines under development, of which 1,427 km are already under construction. In South Africa, the Transnet company has a total of 3,949 km of gas pipelines in the pipeline. In Algeria, the national hydrocarbon company Sonatrach has planned 1,376 km of gas pipelines.
The report cites the 2022 edition of the Statistical Review of modern energy by BP, whose data shows that in 2021, 61% of total gas exports from Africa were in the form of LNG (liquefied natural gas). Algeria and Nigeria lead African LNG exports, the former mainly to France and Turkey, and the latter to Spain, Portugal, and France.
The 5 largest producers of electricity from gas in Africa
The five largest producers of electricity from gas in Africa are Egypt (51,608 MW), Algeria (22,247 MW), Nigeria (10,968 MW), Libya (10,163 MW), Tunisia (5,633 MW), and the rest of Africa (8,623 MW). The total electricity produced from gas in Africa amounts to 109,242 MW.
According to the Global Energy Monitor report: โPower generation in Africa is dominated by natural gas, which accounts for 40% of total generation in 2020. GEM data shows a total of 109,242 MW for power generation plants. current gas-fired electricity in Africa. Most of these plants are in North Africa. In 2021, the African Energy Commission reported that, with the exception of Angola, all African countries that produce gas use it for electricity generation. ยป
600 million Africans do not have access to electricity
The report notes that 600 million Africans, or 43% of the global population, do not have access to electricity. According to the same source, โproviding universal access to clean, affordable, and reliable electricity is a top priority in Africa. ยป
โDespite the abundant potential for renewable energy, only 2% of renewable energy investment in the past two decades has been made in Africa,โ the document notes.
And he added: โExcluding South Africa, the average electricity consumption per person in sub-Saharan Africa is only 185 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year. The striking contrast with 6,500 kWh in Europe and 12,700 kWh in the United States illustrates the link between access to electricity and economic development. ยป