https://www.engineeringnews.co.za
Cape Town|Wärtsilä|Africa|Diesel Generation|Energy Transition|Gas|Renewable Energy|Louis Strydom|Engineering News
|||||
cape-town|wrtsil|africa|diesel-generation|energy-transition|gas|renewable-energy|louis-strydom|engineering-news

Gas a key enabler for Africa’s energy transition – Wärtsilä

Wärtsilä Director: Growth and Development, Africa and Europe Louis Strydom speaks to Engineering News at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town. Camerawork and Editing: Miko Moodley.

17th June 2026

By: Mariaan Webb

Creamer Media Contract Publishing Editor

     

Font size: - +

Africa's energy transition should focus not only on adding renewable energy capacity, but also on replacing the continent's extensive and costly diesel-based generation fleet, says Wärtsilä director of Growth and Development for Africa and Europe Louis Strydom.

Speaking to Engineering News at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, Strydom said small-scale diesel generation remains widespread across Africa despite being one of the most expensive forms of power generation.

He argued that gas has an important role to play in supporting renewable energy growth by providing the flexible generation needed to balance increasingly variable power systems.

Strydom said attracting gas infrastructure investment will require sufficient demand and policy certainty, while financing mechanisms should focus on enabling infrastructure across the entire energy value chain.

He added that governments, financiers and industry stakeholders need to assess energy transition requirements at a system level rather than on a project-by-project basis to ensure affordable, reliable and sustainable electricity supply.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

Article Enquiry

Email Article

Save Article

Feedback

To advertise email advertising@creamermedia.co.za or click here

Showroom

Bell Equipment
Bell Equipment

As one of South Africa's leading manufacturers, Bell Equipment distributes and exports its wide range of heavy equipment globally to mining,...

VISIT SHOWROOM 
Columbus Stainless
Columbus Stainless

Columbus Stainless, based in Middelburg, Mpumalanga, is Africa’s only producer of stainless steel flat products. In addition, Columbus is the only...

VISIT SHOWROOM 

Latest Multimedia

sponsored by

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION







sq:0.075 0.12s - 171pq - 2rq
Subscribe Now