Electricity in Cameroon in 2022

As of 2022, Cameroon’s electricity consumption demonstrates a significant reliance on low-carbon energy, with more than half of its electricity coming from clean sources. Specifically, the country generated about 5 TWh from hydropower and a negligible amount from other low-carbon sources, totaling approximately 5.06 TWh. Fossil energy sources contributed around 3 TWh, with gas making up nearly 2.4 TWh of this. This brings the total electricity generation for Cameroon to roughly 8.1 TWh. Since the country has a population of about 27 million, this results in an average consumption of approximately 300 watts per person. This is below the global average of 432 watts per person, which could lead to constraints on economic development and quality of life due to the limited availability of electricity.

Suggestions

To boost low-carbon electricity generation, Cameroon can look to successful examples from other countries. For instance, China’s impressive generation from wind at around 886 TWh and from solar at 584 TWh shows the significant potential of these technologies. Similarly, the United States has also harnessed substantial amounts of wind (425 TWh) and solar (238 TWh) energy, suggesting that these are scalable options. Countries with similar economic and development profiles to Cameroon, like India and Brazil, have also achieved significant contributions from solar and wind respectively. Cameroon's focus could be on emulating these examples by investing in both wind and solar power projects. Additionally, exploring nuclear energy, which has been successfully implemented by countries like France, the United States, and South Korea, could provide a more stable and large-scale source of clean electricity.

History

Examining the history of low-carbon electricity in Cameroon reveals that hydropower has played a pivotal role. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, there were incremental increases with occasional setbacks. For example, there were notable increases of 0.4 TWh in 1981 and smaller consistent increases such as 0.2 TWh in various years until a reduction of 0.3 TWh in 2002. The early 2000s saw another series of increases and decreases in hydropower generation, along with a brief introduction of biofuels in 2006. Despite the fluctuations, especially the notable decreases in 2002 and some minor setbacks in the subsequent years, there was a surge again in 2017 with an increase of 0.7 TWh. However, 2021 saw a decline of 0.4 TWh. These trends highlight the importance of diversifying into other forms of low-carbon energy like solar and wind to supplement and stabilize the nation's electricity supply.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade

Data Sources