Gas-to-Power in Africa: An Overview of Opportunities and Challenges -

WHAT IS GAS-TO-POWER?

“Gas-to-power” is a phrase that encompasses a trend of projects which involve directly using gas in power generation. The phrase “gas-to-power” covers both the supply of indigenous gas via pipeline to a power station (as contemplated in Mauritania and Mozambique) and “LNG-to-power”, where imported LNG is regasified for power generation. Gas-to-power also encompasses both greenfield projects where there is no existing infrastructure and brownfield projects where new sources of gas supply are procured for supply to existing power plants.

THE AFRICAN LANDSCAPE

Africa is home to 1.2 billion people, which accounts for about 16% of the world’s population. Its population is forecast to grow to 2.4 billion by 2050, and to 4.2 billion by the end of this century – which would account for almost 40% of the world’s population. Parts of Africa (particularly Sub-Saharan Africa) have some of the fastest-growing economies in the world.