In 2023, more than two-thirds of Equatorial Guinea’s electricity came from fossil fuels, accounting for about 69% of consumption. Gas alone supplied roughly 68%, making it the dominant source. Low-carbon electricity supplied the remaining 31%, or almost a third, entirely through hydropower. This leaves substantial room to expand clean electricity and reduce reliance on fossil fuels, whose use contributes to climate change and air pollution.

Is Electricity Growing in Equatorial Guinea?

Electricity consumption per person remains well below its historical peak, rather than showing sustained growth to new highs. In 2023, consumption was 850 kWh per person, about 360 kWh—or 30%—below the 2014 record of 1,209 kWh. Low-carbon electricity generation was also below its peak: 265 kWh per person, compared with 390 kWh in 2015, a drop of about 125 kWh, or 32%. These gaps are concerning, although comparisons with historical records alone do not establish the latest annual trend. Restoring growth in clean electricity would help meet future demand from electrification and expanding digital infrastructure, including AI.

Suggestions

Equatorial Guinea could build on its hydropower foundation by expanding solar electricity and considering nuclear generation through long-term planning and regional cooperation. Relevant African examples include Congo–Kinshasa, where solar provides 13% of electricity, and Cape Verde, where solar and wind each supply about 14%. These regions offer useful examples of diversifying clean electricity supplies. More ambitious solar benchmarks include Chile at about 24% and the US state of Nevada at 35%. For nuclear electricity, France generates roughly two-thirds of its electricity from nuclear, while the United Arab Emirates generates about a fifth. Equatorial Guinea can learn from their planning, workforce development and infrastructure investment while assessing suitable nuclear options for its own electricity system.

History

The supplied historical data show little change in hydropower generation during the listed years of the 1990s and 2000s, including 2010. A strong expansion followed from 2012 through 2015: annual increases ranged from 0.1 to 0.2 TWh, adding up to 0.6 TWh across those four years. Generation was unchanged in 2016, then fluctuated, falling by 0.1 TWh in 2017, recovering that amount in 2018 and falling again in 2019. From 2020 through 2023, no further annual increases were recorded. This prolonged stagnation after the earlier expansion underscores the need for renewed investment in hydropower alongside new solar and nuclear electricity.

Electricity Imports and Exports

Balance of Trade