Energy strategy for Africa's industrial sector

Abstract

The disturbing energy situation is one of the major factors limiting Africa's economic development, particularly in industrial sector. Primary energy production on the continent with the population of more than 11 per cent of the world's total remains very low, of about 6 per cent of the global output, and consumption is very different, with commercial energy concentrated in a very small part, urban and industry, and traditional energy for the rural areas. Oil is still the major energy source in industrial sector, and accounts for 65-70 per cent of the regional commercial energy consumption; natural gas (10-12%) and coal (20-22%) account for another 30-35 per cent, with only 1 per cent for electricity. With the exception of 7 oil exporting countries, which export some 65-70% of produced oil and gas, the rest of developing African countries are heavily depend (up to 100%), on imported energy, mainly petroleum products for their industries and transport. The rural sector mainly uses traditional energy sources: wood, charcoal, vegetable and animal wastes, which are still account more than 50 per cent of the total energy consumed in Africa, and 80-90% of the energy consumed in rural areas.