For LNG tankers, Cape of Good Hope is quite a familiar sight. Every week many of them sail past it, carrying the precious liquid from one ocean to another. Yet not a single one will unload on the African continent.
Some of those cargos were loaded in Algeria, Nigeria or Angola. But so far Africa is more a land of liquefaction than regassification.
Speaking at an oil conference in Cape Town, in front of CEOs and government officials, I realize that LNG might still sound science-fiction for a number of sub-Saharan nations. In some countries, even oil is yet to meet the expectations of domestic demand in terms of availability and affordability.
Here again Africa needs patience. Growth is promising, and several import projects are already being finalized. No doubt that in a decade, a significant portion of African LNG will return to its homeland.
photo (c) Jean-Christian Heintz
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