Natural gas can provide Africa with a means of dramatically increasing the amount of energy available on the continent, boasting significantly lower levels of greenhouse-gas emissions and pollution than other fossil fuels.

About 600-million people in Africa do not have access to reliable electricity and about 900-million people do not have access to clean energy for cooking. However, most countries in Africa have contributed very little to greenhouse gases (GHGs) that are driving climate change, said industry organisation African Energy Chamber (AEC) chairperson NJ Ayuk.

Speaking during an AEC- and Russian gas multinational Gazprom-hosted conference on June 22, he said natural gas presented an opportunity for Africa to overcome its energy poverty and drive development, while reducing the environmental footprint of its energy.

Africa must have energy to develop and drive its industries. There was high unemployment among the youth and it was not acceptable that the only hope for them was to seek prosperity on distant shores or in wealthy nations, he said.

"A lack of reliable electricity that is leading to industries not being able to operate, or to school children and students not having enough light to study, translates to an African economy that cannot grow. We must harness natural gas [to power Africa's development]," he noted.

Further, natural gas also provided various inputs to produce fertilisers, which supported food security, and various industrial chemicals for industries and essential products that Africa needed, Ayuk added.

"Energy poverty and climate change are two sides of the same coin. We must deal with both to address either. Gas is a future fuel for Africa, not just a transition fuel. We cannot transition from energy poverty to energy poverty. Therefore, Africa requires gas energy finance.

"The continent needs gas to drive development, keep young people on the continent, create jobs, keep hospitals open and make people's lives better," he averred.

Globally, 13% of natural gas was produced in Africa, but the continent was underexplored and was one of the most underdeveloped gas basins in the world. Nigeria had trillions of cubic feet of gas that was not being harnessed. Namibia had recently made another significant gas discovery and Mozambique could go from producing very little natural gas to become one of the largest producers in the world, he noted.

However, critically, any gas development in Africa must benefit its citizens and must not only be aimed for export, but also drive its development, he emphasised.

"There are enough reserves to power entire countries with natural gas and drive development while still having reserves to export. We must embrace the skills and technologies that companies like Gazprom can bring to keep developing the industry," Ayuk said.

"The message we must drive is that gas is suitable for everyone and is green for Africa's development. We will see a better future with natural gas," he said.

Natural gas was a reliable and uninterrupted source for power supply, suitable for baseload power generation and independent of weather conditions, and Africa could reduce its yearly GHG emissions by about 250-million tons of carbon dioxide-equivalent by replacing the use of oil with natural gas, said Gazprom Green Innovations head and Gazprom Hydrogen CEO Konstantin Romanov.

"Our daily lives depend on reliable and affordable energy sources, as well as continuous and equitable access. Natural gas is the simplest, fastest and most economically viable solution to reducing GHG emissions," he said.

The natural gas resources and reserves present in Africa were sufficient to provide power for its cities and industries into the foreseeable future, he highlighted.

Further, using natural gas for transport and power instead of oil or coal would significantly reduce their environmental footprints, as well as reduce the pollutants compared with coal and oil use.

For example, the use of natural gas produces 80% less nitrogen oxides than coal, 90% less sulphur oxides and 85% less 2.5 mm solid particle pollution than coal, with similar reductions compared to oil derivates.

"Approximately 70% of air pollution in cities is owing to vehicles and transportation. The use of natural gas in transportation instead of oil can massively reduce air pollution, including particulate pollution, that contributes to the premature deaths of about seven-million people a year worldwide," Romanov outlined.

Natural gas had a role to play in cutting down the carbon footprint of the energy industry and there was a direct benefit of using natural gas to contribute to creating a low-carbon energy sector, he added.

Natural gas also presents benefits as an energy carrier. Electricity has significant losses over long distances, while gas is more flexible, can be transported long distances and stored close to where it is needed, and is characterised by minimal losses throughout the supply chain.

"This efficiency impacts on the economics of projects. Natural gas also provides multiple products in addition to being an energy source, including hydrogen, various inputs to produce plastics, lubricants, helium for high-technology industries, ammonia for fertilisers and chemicals. It is not only an energy source, but a source of raw materials," Romanov noted.

Meanwhile, Africa is set to double the number of cities of more than five-million people by 2040, according to data published by management consultancy McKinsey, highlighted Gazprom general head of department Dmitry Khandoga.

"By 2040, Africa is set to have 31 cities with a population larger than five-million people and 12 cities with a population larger than ten-million people.

"The challenges presented by rapid urbanisation, food and energy security must be solved. Traditional fuel like wood, which is still used by millions of people in Africa, will not be sufficient for cooking in cities, nor for the development of modern and digital economies.

"Reliable and secure energy supply is the foundation of all economies, especially to power industrial equipment and industries without interruption," he said.

Gazprom had built gas networks in 423 population centres, and gas grids could contribute to long-term improvement of the quality of life for households in cities. Natural gas was a reliable and efficient answer to help solve the problems that Africa was facing, he added.

"In Russia today, about 50% of power capacity is generated from gas. It is more flexible and scalable than other energy sources," he highlighted.

Gas was a reliable and efficient solution to provide industries and population centres with the energy they needed. Gas could readily and rapidly be deployed close to population centres and thereby cut down on network expenses, as well as supplement other generation sources such as coal, renewables and nuclear, Khandoga said.