Côte d’Ivoire might be renowned for its cocoa and coffee industry, yet the country is more than an agricultural stronghold. Take the Ivoirian oil and gas sector, which is set to expand significantly over the next few years.
Currently, the daily production of oil in Côte d’Ivoire stands at 45,000 barrels per day. This amount is expected to increase to 280,000 barrels per day in 2018. The production of natural gas too, will get a significant boost.
“We try to develop all natural gas discoveries,” says Minister of Petroleum and Energy Adama Toungara. Last year, various large gas deposits were found along Côte d’Ivoire’s coast, triggering the interest of foreign and local investors alike.
“Gas is very important. Apart from producing gas ourselves, we are looking at getting supplies from elsewhere, as the local demand is growing rapidly. We realise that we need several sources to meet the demand,” Mr Toungara adds.
“During the 10-year crisis,
we only installed 227km of transmission lines”
Adama Toungara,
Minister of Petroleum
and Energy |
Making sure that the Ivoirian hunger for gas and other sources of energy is met forms one of the priorities of the Ivoirian government. “For sustainable economic growth, we need sufficient energy. Our national energy consumption is growing by 14 per cent annually at household level, and 10 per cent for industries,” says Mr Toungara.
He notes that his department has embarked on a multifaceted energy plan. Apart from focusing on oil and gas production, the authorities are planning to overhaul the country’s electricity grid, by upgrading existing thermal stations and renovating the national electricity transport line network.
“Our lines are old,” Mr Toungara explains. “We initiated a programme in January 2014, which will see the installation of 1,200km of new transport lines in the years to come.”
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