Gas has ‘transitional role’ in Africa’s green goals, says EU

Bloomberg

Natural gas can play a transitional role in Africa’s development to a greener economy, the European Union’s climate chief Frans Timmermans said in
response to climate activists’ concerns about locking the continent into fossil fuels.
While renewable energy is becoming cheaper globally, Timmermans said he understands Africa’s need to monetise its fossil-fuel resources. The EU and member states like Germany are currently turning to countries like Senegal and Algeria to help make up for a shortfall in Russian gas following the invasion of Ukraine.
Prominent African activists, like Mohamed Adow from Power Shift Africa, have accused Europe of using the continent as its “gas station” and of “energy colonialism.” They say that the EU’s short-term gas needs could risk locking Africa into decades of fossil-fuel
infrastructure.
“Renewable energy needs to play a key role, but I also believe that gas can play a transitional role,” Timmermans said at a press conference at the COP27 climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt. African nations “see the reserves they have in hydrocarbons as part
of that equation. This is not
Europe trying to use Africa as a gas station.”
Timmermans added that to minimise the risks of locking Africa into fossil fuels, any new gas infrastructure should be pre-fitted to carry hydrogen for export to the EU. Analysts and activists have said that is unlikely due to the expense and risk of doing so.
Separately, Timmermans announced a $1 billion initiative to help fund adaptation in Africa, and €60 million for loss and damage — a key issue at this year’s summit.
“The EU is in a very desperate stage right now,” said Kofi Mbuk, an analyst at the think tank Carbon Tracker. “Governments in Europe hammer on Africa to cut on emissions but sign gas contracts for them.”