In 2023, fossil fuels supplied more than two-thirds of Equatorial Guinea’s electricity, at about 69%, with gas alone accounting for roughly 68%. Low-carbon electricity provided the remaining 31%, or almost a third, entirely from hydropower. This leaves the electricity supply heavily dependent on fossil fuels, highlighting the opportunity to expand clean electricity while reducing climate-changing emissions and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Equatorial Guinea?

Electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak. In 2023, it stood at 850 kWh per person, compared with the record of 1,209 kWh in 2014—a decrease of 359 kWh, or about 30%. Low-carbon electricity generation was also below its peak: 265 kWh per person in 2023 versus 390 kWh in 2015, a fall of 125 kWh, or roughly a third. These shortfalls are concerning, although comparisons with historical records alone do not establish whether electricity consumption increased or decreased in the latest year. Renewed growth in clean electricity would help support wider electrification and future demand.

Suggestions

Equatorial Guinea can increase low-carbon electricity generation by complementing its hydropower with solar and considering nuclear development through long-term planning and regional cooperation. Relevant African examples include Congo-Kinshasa, where solar supplies 13% of electricity, and Cape Verde, where solar and wind each provide 14%. These places offer useful starting points for exploring solar deployment and assessing suitable wind resources. Solar’s contribution reaches about a third in the US state of California, illustrating its potential to become a major electricity source. Nuclear also deserves consideration: it supplies about two-thirds of electricity in France and 20% in the United Arab Emirates. Equatorial Guinea could study these experiences while assessing suitable project sizes, grid development, financing and workforce training.

History

The reported history of low-carbon electricity in Equatorial Guinea is a history of hydropower. The listed years in the 1990s and 2000s, as well as 2010, show no change in generation. Expansion came in 2012–2015, when annual increases of 0.1–0.2 TWh added up to 0.6 TWh of additional generation. Output was unchanged in 2016, fell by 0.1 TWh in 2017, recovered by the same amount in 2018, and fell again by 0.1 TWh in 2019. From 2020 through 2023, generation remained flat. This prolonged stagnation underscores the need for a fresh expansion of clean electricity generation.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade