The Mayumba plant is being developed under a public-private partnership involving the Gabonese state, Gabon Power Company, and oil producer Perenco Gabon, which supplies natural gas from its offshore fields.
The facility, located in Nyanga province, has entered service with an initial installed capacity of 8.5 megawatts, following its official handover to the Gabonese state on January 23.
According to Gabonese news platform, the first phase of the Mayumba gas‑to‑power project was completed at a cost of approximately 17.8 billion FCFA ($31 million USD).
Christophe Le Blanc, CEO of Perenco, noted “This milestone demonstrates the company’s ability to act as a development partner, aligning its industrial operations with Gabon’s energy sovereignty.”
Fueling Africa’s Energy Future
Capacity is projected to rise to 20 MW in a second phase, before reaching up to 50 MW in the long term, once grid connections which includes the Mayumba–Tchibanga transmission line, are completed.
Despite abundant energy resources, the continent still accounts for more than 40% of the world’s population without access to electricity, according to multilateral estimates.
Across Africa, gas-fired power plants are increasingly viewed as a faster and more reliable alternative to large hydro or coal projects.
Nigeria, Africa’s largest gas producer, has expanded gas-to-power infrastructure through projects such as the Azura-Edo power plant (450 MW), while Senegal’s upcoming 300 MW gas-fired plants linked to the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim gas project are expected to reshape the country’s electricity mix.
Egypt has already demonstrated the impact of gas-based generation, adding thousands of megawatts over the past decade and stabilising national supply.
For gas-producing countries like Gabon, these projects offer dual benefits: improving electricity access and reducing gas flaring by redirecting fuel into domestic power generation. Unlike intermittent renewables, gas plants also provide baseload power, helping stabilise grids as countries gradually integrate solar and wind.
