The West's energy suggestions can't solve industrialization issues in Africa, said Oleg Ozerov, ambassador-at-large of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
"In terms of the energy agenda, Western states have made all sorts of proposals, but they primarily fall within the plane of the energy transition, or the so-called green transition. Western countries suggest, first and foremost, the development of the so-called 'green generation' - wind energy and solar energy. However, all of these suggestions do not solve industrialization issues, because it requires more powerful energy sources," Ozerov pointed out.
At the same time, Ozerov stated that it is Russia who has the necessary energy sources. In particular, he pointed to the El Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant project in Egypt and said that there is a potential for implementation of other projects of this kind.
Meanwhile, African countries have repeatedly stated their commitment to developing green energy not in exchange for, but in addition to the use of traditional energy sources. During the COP27 energy summit in Egypt in October, Akinwumi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AfDB), reminded European countries of Africa's right to use its abundant traditional energy resources, particularly gas.
In Africa, where almost 600 million people lack access to electricity, addressing energy poverty is a vital priority. Therefore, the possibility of ensuring energy security in such challenging conditions while relying solely on renewable sources is still a subject of controversy. Many experts agree that Africa is not ready to abandon traditional energy sources, particularly nuclear energy, which, unlike many others, does not emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
Western nations, for their part, keep pushing the idea of reducing the use of fossil fuels in Africa. In September, US climate envoy John Kerry warned against investing in long-term gas projects in Africa, claiming that such projects would most likely fail to pay off their investments due to plans to phase out gas and switch to alternative energy by 2030. His remarks echoed the sentiment from last year's International Energy Agency report, which stated that investing in African gas projects could jeopardize the global net-zero goal by 2050.
The same month, the European Parliament summoned a representative of French TotalEnergies to justify the company's participation in the development of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which Uganda and Tanzania initiated. This came on the heels of an EU resolution from the same month that accused the EACOP project of "posing environmental risks" and urged it to be halted.
Uganda's government subsequently slammed the resolution, with Parliament Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa accusing the EU of "economic racism, neo-colonialism, imperialism, and double standards."