The EU, has unveiled a plan to make Europe independent from Russian fossil fuels before 2030 calls for renewed dialogue with African producers of LNG and Hydrogen. Being, part of it approved REPowerEU plan, first commissioned by the European Council 2 months ago. The EU is aiming to conclude a trilateral agreement with Egypt and Israel on supplying Europe with LNG.
The commission also want to restart it energy dialogue with Algeria and is considering the untapped LNG potential of West African countries such as Nigeria, Senegal and Angola. The REPowerEU plan includes immediate measures n energy saving diversification of energy supplies and accelerated roll-out renewable energy, in a bid to end Russian gas imports while tackling the climate crisis.
The union has already secured record levels of LNG imports from the international patners since the beginning of the year. Ranging from January to April 2022, 42bn cubic metres (bcm) of LNG were delivered to the continent representing approximately 10% of EU gas consumption in 2020.
Though, most of these deliveries came from US, the EU’s REPowerEU plans for more alternative patners. The union is also looking for global patners to increase the share of renewable hydrogen in it energy mix, in which African countries are set to be major actors. The REPowerEU plan set out that the hydrogen patnership in Africa will facilitate the import of 10m tonnes of hydrogen by 2030, replacing approximately 18 bcm of imported gases.
Many African countries have already announced the development of green hydrogen projects attracting the interest of EU industry. Egypt and Zimbambwe, for instance have already installed over 100 megawatts of electrolysers. Electrolysis is the process of using electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
