South Africa’s coal-fired plants were mostly responsible for 1.3% of global emissions, and worryingly contributed to roughly half of Africa’s total emissions in 2020*! But coal isn’t the only culprit. Industries requiring large amounts of power for the operation of heavy machinery, furnaces, boilers, ovens and smelters turn to a combination of undesirable hydrocarbon fuels like Heavy Fuel Oils (HFO), paraffin, diesel and LPG. Consider the negatives of just one of these traditional fuels. HFO has an elevated overall toxicity compared to all other fuels plus it is unable to breakdown when spilt. Not to mention the hazardous effects on human lung cells when exposed to HFO and diesel emissions. This is especially scary during a global pandemic centred around respiratory issues. While conventional fuels are a cheap operating solution, these nasty truths highlight that the switch to cleaner, greener energy sources is incredibly urgent. 

Decarbonisation is often not as high of a priority as economic growth and poverty alleviation for a developing country in Southern Africa. Additionally, gaps in technical and financial expertise, limited resources and poor governance makes the implementation of wind, solar and electric energy challenging to say the least! In 2022’s the World Economic Forum, Yemi Osinbajo, Nigeria's vice-president, said that for African countries, “gas as a transition fuel is absolutely crucial, not just for an effective transition but also for our economies.” He went further to say that natural gas is “without doubt the only pathway” for Africa to transition out of more hazardous fuels like coal and HFO. Africa’s abundant natural gas is an untapped resource. So instead of looking to first-world countries for cut-and-paste environmental answers, “we should be focusing on the solution right on our doorstep,” says Stephen Rothman, LNG Hub CEO.

Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) is a transition fuel crucial not just for an effective transition to green energy but also for our economies.

That solution is Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), which can be effectively combined with solar, wind and other energy sources. “We are not reinventing the wheel. There is solid infrastructure, proven equipment and there is already success in other parts of the world,” adds Rothman. In the past, Rothman successfully trailblazed the introduction of compressed natural gas as an alternative energy. Now he is making waves by calling for LNG to be a reliable, greener energy solution for Southern Africa's big industries. LNG Hub is a Southern-Africa-based organisation specialising in turnkey energy solutions through the sourcing, distribution, and supply of LNG, including LNG equipment and storage solutions. LNG Hub makes the transition from current non-sustainable and interrupted energy sources to clean, dependable energy readily achievable.

*According to The International Energy Agency (IEA)