The project, approved by a coalition of Central African nations last September, will include a pipeline system and a hub infrastructure, along with liquefied natural gas terminal, storage depots, gas-fired power plants, and refineries.

In a recent meeting organized by the African Energy Chambers, the Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons in Equatorial Guinea H.E. Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima gave an update on the progress and timeline of the 6,500km pipeline project of the Central Africa Pipeline System (CAPS). The Minister shared that Cameroon and Equatorial Guinea are working on the first phase, which will connect through Chad. “The DRC would connect through Angola and Central Africa, as they are already providing products through that direction. Congo-Brazzaville is developing an FPSO for liquefied natural gas, which in the future, will need to be connected with a pipeline,” Lima said.

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Though the project is a great initiative towards the right direction, the Minister mentioned funding to be Africa’s biggest challenge in the hydrocarbon sector expansion. The project is expected to start from 2030. This innovative initiative by CAPS will start a new era in the intra-African energy trade and security, as it will help reduce the energy poverty in Africa.