France’s Total has said that Africa could be a significant global market for imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) by 2025, as more countries targets gas-to-power projects.

The world's second-largest and second-most-populous continent has been said to be gradually diverting to LNG as a source of global power.

“It could be collectively a 20 to 30 million tonnes per year market by 2025. Africa really is going to take a central role, the projects may be typically of smaller scale, but nevertheless they will collectively be very important,” Tom Earl, vice president of Total said.

Earl added that Egypt could be the main facilitator of the plans and could import between 15 million and 20 million tonnes per annum in a decade, even though the volumes are subject to the development of the huge Zohr gas field, which had an estimated 30 tcf of gas.

West Africa is seen importing 5 million tonnes per annum, South Africa (4 million) and Morocco (2 million tonnes) by 2025, Energy Voice reports.

The Vice President said Total is targeting gas-to-power projects all over the world and plans to develop downstream markets.

“Total is willing to invest further downstream and that's important for us because it is developing future demand, future markets,” he said.

Anita Fatunji