Petroleum Africa
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Tuesday, March 24, 2015
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Economic Growth in Africa Needs Investment in Petroleum Supply Infrastructure, Education, Training, and Refining
Re-elected President of the African Refiners Association (ARA) Pierre Reteno N’diaye has warned that without investment in the continent’s petroleum supply infrastructure, including the education and training of the local labour force, the growth rate on which Africa depends for its economic development may not be achieved.
He was speaking at the 10th annual African Refiners conference in Cape Town, South Africa, attended by over 500 delegates from the downstream sector of the oil industry.
Some years ago, forecasts of continuing exponential African economic growth met with some scepticism, but now forecasts of diesel and gasoline consumption in Africa increasing by 60% by 2025 are accepted as a minimum, with continuing sustainable development confirmed.
The ARA annual conference highlighted that this earlier scepticism meant that the continent had not prepared adequately to supply its energy needs by investment in downstream oil infrastructure, including its refineries, with a regional perspective, in order to ensure efficient, economic and safe production and distribution of high quality oil products.
Reteno N’diaye warned that it “was vital to encourage governments and economic communities to establish regional fuel specifications and distribution infrastructure, to encourage free trade between neighbouring countries, avoid smuggling and adulteration, and help create the regional cross-border optimisation that is necessary for an efficient low cost product supply.”
Speakers at the conference also stressed the urgent need to improve safety standards for fuel storage and distribution in order to match world standards, particularly in respect of environmental regulation and enforcement, and road transport accidents.
N’diaye added that one vital investment that was easily forgotten was in training of the local labour force. “The petroleum industry requires high technical and commercial skill levels and must identify and plan for the training of the younger generation. To fulfil the staff and management needs of the future requires an allocation of both human and financial resources.”
The conference also discussed the on-going challenge to provide clean fuels for the future, to meet the demands of modern vehicles. The investments needed to achieve this across Africa, in upgrading refining units and providing the latest technologies, would have to compete with the alternative strategy of importing fuels from other distant refining zones of the world, notably the USA, Europe and the Middle East. The favoured supply method will differ depending upon the country, and notably upon the policies of individual governments
The ARA was formed ten years ago to provide a pan-African NGO for the African oil supply, refining and distribution industry. The ARA represents not only its African refinery members but also many product importers, storage companies, marketers and government regulators. Its annual conference is the only meeting place for downstream oil in Africa.
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