In Gabon, the electricity consumed in 2021 was derived from both fossil fuels and low-carbon sources, with each contributing roughly equal amounts. Specifically, more than 1.2 TWh came from burning fossil fuels and just above 1 TWh from low-carbon sources. Of the latter, virtually all was hydropower, underlining Gabon's strong dependence on this form of energy. These numbers however, indicate that Gabon's per capita consumption of electricity is significantly lower than the global average of 410 watts/person. This lower electricity generation could impact the country's economic development and standard of living, slowing technology adoption rates and limiting opportunities for industrial and infrastructural improvements.
Given the rich resource of water bodies in Gabon, the country has excelled in generating electricity through hydropower. However, to increase low-carbon electricity generation, Gabon can look to diversify its energy portfolio by introducing other low-carbon energy sources such as wind and solar, alongside increasing nuclear capacity. This kind of energy diversification has been successfully employed by countries like Brazil, which generated nearly 94 TWh of electricity from wind power, and Spain, which generated over 60 TWh from wind power and more than 50 TWh from nuclear power. These countries offer a successful example of a combined approach to using wind, solar and nuclear power, which could serve as a blueprint for Gabon to follow in increasing its own low-carbon electricity generation.
Looking at the historical data on low-carbon electricity generation in Gabon from 1981 to 2019, it's noticeable that there has been a gradual and consistent increase in hydropower generation. The 1980s saw minor but consistent increases, with each year's generation seeing an increase of about 0.1 TWh from the previous year. A stagnation period appears in the mid-1990s, with no increase for a time. However, from 2001 onwards, there is a fluctuation in hydroelectric generation with a few years seeing an increase of 0.1 TWh, and a few years seeing a decrease by the same amount. Overall though, hydroelectric power has been a constant presence in Gabon's electricity generation mix, indicating that there is a long history and a strong foundation of low-carbon electricity in the country, albeit with room for expansion and diversification.