Africa’s Gas Power Plants Cannot Be the Future Without Tackling Methane

This document, developed in collaboration with the Clean Air Task Force (CATF), examines the role of natural gas in Africa’s energy transition and highlights a critical but often overlooked issue: methane emissions. While natural gas is frequently promoted as a viable “transition fuel,” the joint analysis demonstrates that its climate advantage rapidly erodes when methane leaks along the value chain are not rigorously monitored and controlled.

The report warns that expanding gas-based infrastructure without a credible methane abatement strategy risk locking African countries into high-emission, high-cost energy systems, ultimately weakening their negotiating position in global climate and carbon markets. It also underscores the economic opportunity associated with methane capture: recovered gas can be monetized, improving operational efficiency and generating additional revenue for national energy operators.

Drawing on insights from Nigeria, Mozambique, Tanzania, and North and West Africa, the document highlights the importance of integrating advanced leak-detection technologies, robust regulatory frameworks, and best-practice methane management protocols from the outset. It further emphasizes the need for strong international partnerships, with CATF providing global technical expertise and the Sahara and Sahel Observatory (OSS) contributing regional data systems, geospatial analysis, policy dialogue, and capacity building.

Together, OSS and CATF call for an African methane action agenda that strengthens national policies, enhances transparency, mobilizes finance, and positions African countries as proactive leaders in the emerging global methane mitigation architecture.