Gabon Energy Situation

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Gabon
Flag of Gabon.png
Location _______.png

Capital:

Libreville

Region:

Coordinates:

1.073968° S, 10.85873° E

Total Area (km²): It includes a country's total area, including areas under inland bodies of water and some coastal waterways.

267,670

Population: It is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin.

2,436,566 (2023)

Rural Population (% of total population): It refers to people living in rural areas as defined by national statistical offices. It is calculated as the difference between total population and urban population.

9 (2023)

GDP (current US$): It is the sum of gross value added by all resident producers in the economy plus any product taxes and minus any subsidies not included in the value of the products. It is calculated without making deductions for depreciation of fabricated assets or for depletion and degradation of natural resources.

20,516,134,389 (2023)

GDP Per Capita (current US$): It is gross domestic product divided by midyear population

8,420.10 (2023)

Access to Electricity (% of population): It is the percentage of population with access to electricity.

93.50 (2022)

Energy Imports Net (% of energy use): It is estimated as energy use less production, both measured in oil equivalents. A negative value indicates that the country is a net exporter. Energy use refers to use of primary energy before transformation to other end-use fuels, which is equal to indigenous production plus imports and stock changes, minus exports and fuels supplied to ships and aircraft engaged in international transport.

-213.40 (2014)

Fossil Fuel Energy Consumption (% of total): It comprises coal, oil, petroleum, and natural gas products.

22.79 (2014)

Source: World Bank




Introduction

Gabon lies directly on the equator, on the far west coast of Cengtral Africa. The country borders 3 countries & the Gulf of Guinea; to the north-west is Equatorial Guinea, to the north is Cameroon & to both east & south is the Republic of Congo, while the Gulf of Guinea is to the west.


Gabon's Borders Map (UN, 2004)


Energy Situation

Overview of the Country's Energy Sources

Gabon's total land area is about 85% forest, which makes biomass a predominant energy source for supplying the country's domestic sector needs in particular[1][2]. Gabon has also high potential for hydro-electric generation due to its topography and high-precipitation conditions[1].


In terms of proven and recoverable oil reserves, the country is considered to be one of the richest in sub-Sharan Africa, ranking the 5th largest in the continent (After Nigeria, Angola, Sudan, South Sudan & Uganda)[1][2]. It also ranks as the 3rd largest oil producer in sub-Saharan Africa; following Nigeria & Angola[1].


The country's two main energy sources are fossil-fuels and hydropower[1]. 51.7% of Gabon's total produced electricity in 2015 were generated from hydro, and 48.2% were from fossil fuels[1]. Gabon relies heavily on oil for both its export revenues & its domestic energy production[3]. The other major energy source is hydropower, from which the country's government aims to produce up to 1200 MW by 2020[3].


Energy Access

Compared to other countries in the region, Gabon has a good electrification rate with approximately 91.4% of the total population has access to electricity, leaving about 200,000 citizens lacking it[4][5]


As shown in the following figure, Gabon's electrification rate has been steadily on the rise between the late 90s and 2008. The electrification rate witnessed a significant rise between 2008-2010, yet it started to slow down from 2010 until 2013, when it started to steadily increase again until recently.


Gabon's Total Electricity Access 1990-2017 (Tracking SDG&, 2019)


Gabon's Urban Electricity Access 1990-2017 (Tracking SDG7, 2019)


Gabon's Rural Electricity Access 1990-2017 (Tracking SDG7, 2019)


Renewable Energy

Fossil Fuels

Key Problems of the Energy Sector

Policy Framework, Laws and Regulations

Institutional Set up in the Energy Sector

Other Key Actors / Activities of Donors, Implementing Agencies, Civil Society Organisations

Further Information

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Lund, H.G. & Mabirizi, F. (2017). Atlas of Africa Energy Resources. Retrieved from: https://www.icafrica.org/fileadmin/documents/Publications/Africa_Energy_Atlas.pdf
  2. 2.0 2.1 World Bank. (2019). The World Bank In Gabon. Retrieved from: https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/gabon/overview
  3. 3.0 3.1 Nachmany, M. Fankhauser, S. Davidová, J. Kingsmill, N. Landesman, T. Roppongi, H. Schleifer, P. Setzer, J. Sharman, A. Singleton, C.S. Sundaresan, J. & Townshend, T. (2015). Climate Change Legislation in Gabon: An Excerpt from the 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study – A Review of Climate Change in 99 Countries. Retrieved from: http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/GABON.pdf Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; name "Nachmany, M. Fankhauser, S. Davidová, J. Kingsmill, N. Landesman, T. Roppongi, H. Schleifer, P. Setzer, J. Sharman, A. Singleton, C.S. Sundaresan, J. & Townshend, T. (2015). Climate Change Legislation in Gabon: An Excerpt from the 2015 Global Climate Legislation Study – A Review of Climate Change in 99 Countries. Retrieved from: http://www.lse.ac.uk/GranthamInstitute/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/GABON.pdf" defined multiple times with different content
  4. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). (2019). The World Fact-book: Africa: Gabon. Retrieved from: https://www.cia.gov/library/Publications/the-world-factbook/geos/gb.html
  5. Tracking SDG7. (2019). Gabon. Retrieved from: https://trackingsdg7.esmap.org/country/gabon