Energy in Gabon comes from two main sources,
fossil-fuel
A fossil fuel is a hydrocarbon-containing material formed naturally in the Earth's crust from the remains of dead plants and animals that is extracted and burned as a fuel. The main fossil fuels are coal, oil, and natural gas. Fossil fuels ma ...
s and
hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is Electricity generation, electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other Renewabl ...
.
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
also relies heavily on oil for its export revenues, exporting both
crude oil
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...
and
petroleum
Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crud ...
. In terms its oil reserves, the country is one of the richest in sub-Sharan Africa, ranking 5th after
Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
,
Angola
, national_anthem = " Angola Avante"()
, image_map =
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, capital = Luanda
, religion =
, religion_year = 2020
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, coordina ...
,
Sudan
Sudan ( or ; ar, السودان, as-Sūdān, officially the Republic of the Sudan ( ar, جمهورية السودان, link=no, Jumhūriyyat as-Sūdān), is a country in Northeast Africa. It shares borders with the Central African Republic t ...
,
South Sudan
South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of the C ...
, and
Uganda
}), is a landlocked country in East Africa
East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...
. Renewable energy in the form of
solar power
Solar power is the conversion of energy from sunlight into electricity, either directly using photovoltaics (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power. Photovoltaic cells convert light into an electric current using the photovoltaic e ...
is virtually nonexistent.
Gabon is among Africa’s biggest crude oil producers. However, the country aims to diversify its economy by further developing its agriculture, fisheries, technology, and
ecotourism
Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...
sectors.
Gabon’s total electricity production in 2015 was 199 kilotonne of oil equivalent (ktoe), with 51.7% produced from hydropower sources and 48.2% from fossil fuels. The country’s final consumption of electricity was 169 ktoe.
As of 2014, 15% of rural areas had electricity.
The country aims to provide electricity to 85% of rural areas by 2025 and universal access to electricity by 2035.
Oil
Gabon
Gabon (; ; snq, Ngabu), officially the Gabonese Republic (french: République gabonaise), is a country on the west coast of Central Africa. Located on the equator, it is bordered by Equatorial Guinea to the northwest, Cameroon to the north ...
, a former OPEC member (1975–1994) that rejoined in 2016, is the sixth-largest
[Gabon Country field, accessed online on 20/05/2014 on http://www.eia.gov/countries/cab.cfm?fips=GB] oil
An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...
producer in sub-Saharan Africa.
The first national oil company was the
Société Nationale Petrolière Gabonaise but it was disbanded in 1987. The government of Gabon controls all petroleum and mineral rights within the state. In 2011 a presidential decree created the
Gabon Oil Company (GOC).
This new entity works in partnership with international companies operating in Gabon and operates two fields: Obangue and Remboue.
Hydropower
Hydropower accounts for 11% of Gabon's electric power consumption in 2013.
References
{{Africa topic, Energy in