September 2019, Vol. 246, No. 9
Africa Spotlight
Pipelines Emerging in Africa’s Quest for Gas Power
By Nicholas Newman, Contributing Editor Despite the many advances in the electrification of Africa, much of the continent has yet to be connected to the grid or have access to reliable and affordable power supplies. According to World Bank figures, Africa’s electrification rate is just 42%. But this average hides marked regional disparities. For example, North Africa provides 99% of its population with grid electricity while in sub-Sahara the figure is just 31%. There is also an urban rural disparity. While 69% of urban dwellers have access to electricity, just 25% of rural dwellers are grid connected and this falls to less than 10% in sub-Sahara. Moreover, electricity is expensive a

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