Guinea's natural resources
Guinea, officially known as the Republic of Guinea, is a West African nation characterized by its abundant natural resources, particularly minerals, hydropower, and agricultural assets. Despite having a rich endowment of these resources, the country faces challenges such as political instability and degraded infrastructure, which inhibit its economic potential. Energy consumption per capita is notably low, largely due to a reliance on biomass for cooking, with over 75% of households using firewood. Hydropower plays a significant role in the energy supply, accounting for about 65% alongside oil, with ongoing projects aimed at increasing capacity, including several hydroelectric dams.
However, access to electricity remains limited, with only about 47.7% of the population receiving service as of 2022. The energy sector is overseen by multiple governmental ministries, which aim to improve energy efficiency through foreign investment and private sector involvement. While the country imports all its petroleum products, it has yet to discover oil reserves, despite promising findings in nearby regions. Future development plans focus on expanding electrification, promoting renewable energy sources, and enhancing the management of water resources, which are critical given Guinea’s position as the headwaters of major West African rivers.
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Guinea's natural resources
Official Name: Republic of Guinea.
Summary: The Republic of Guinea is an undeveloped and poor nation in Africa, with an extremely low energy consumption per inhabitant, yet it is richly endowed with minerals, hydropower, and agricultural resources.
Despite Guinea’s rich endowment in minerals, hydropower, and agricultural resources, a degraded infrastructure and political uncertainty have reduced its profitability potential. Energy consumption per capita is low, at less than half a ton of oil equivalent, and there is heavy dependence on biomass from forest resources. In 2020, biomass and hydropower made up about 65 percent of the nation's energy supply, with oil accounting for the other 35 percent. Total installed electricity capacity was 1.191 kilowatts in 2022.
Access to electricity is extremely limited: As of 2022, only 47.7 percent of the population was estimated to have service. The system runs from the capital to cities in the east and south, yet malfunctions are frequent and blackouts are common, resulting from insufficient production capacity and the failing infrastructure. There are also issues with low billing rates and low rates of recovery and collection. With the Electricity Sector Efficiency Improvement Project and increasing foreign investments, however, services are likely to improve in quality and efficiency.
Because of low rates of energy access and reliability, firewood and charcoal are the main fuels used for cooking. More than 75 percent of households are estimated to use firewood, and about 22 percent use charcoal. Because of widespread and mostly uncontrolled use of wood resources, there are major concerns over deforestation. Opportunities for alternative forms of biomass supply (such as agricultural waste) are being explored.
Guinea has vast amounts of water resources, as it is home to the headwaters of twenty-two West African rivers, including the Niger, Gambia, and Senegal Rivers. In 2015, with the installation of the Kaleta hydroelectric facility, the country increased its installed capacity for hydroelectricity generation to 368 megawatts. Another hydroelectric facility, the Souapiti dam, became operational in 2021. A third dam, the Amaria hydroelectric plant, remained under construction in 2024. When the three dams are completed and fully operational, an estimated 80 percent of Guinea’s energy supply will come from hydropower.
Guinea imports all its petroleum products, at a rate of more than 16,000 barrels per day (not including petroleum products used in mining consumption). Small amounts of liquefied petroleum gas are also imported, but mostly to supply wealthy buyers. Despite promising findings of oil reserves in neighboring countries, no reserves have been discovered in Guinea.
The Ministry of Energy and Hydraulics has overall responsibility for the energy sector. It oversees work done by the other ministerial departments, including the Ministry of Environment, charged with water and forest issues such as biomass and fuelwood use; the Ministry of Mines and Geology, charged with oil exploration; the Ministry of Commerce and Competitiveness, charged with managing the downstream hydrocarbon sector; and the Ministry of Economy and Finance, charged with managing all governmental actions in the energy sector. In addition, the National Division of Energy (NDE), comprising the Energy Planning and Regulation Division and the Renewable Energies Division, is charged with defining the country’s energy-related policy.
The National Company of Water of Guinea (SONEG) is the national authority responsible for management and conservation of water resources, including hydropower. The main power authority is Enterprise Nationale d’Électricité de Guinée (ENELGUI), which is a publicly owned state authority for power generation. Électricité de Guinée (EDG) is responsible for the maintenance, restoration, and development of electricity production, transportation, and distribution facilities and equipment. While the state is the major shareholder and there is public participation, EDG is managed according to commercial laws.
Future Development
Under Guinea’s poverty reduction strategy, the government aims to improve performance of the energy sector by increasing private-sector investment and management, developing a master plan for energy generation and distribution that also considers environmental and social factors, preparing a strategy for further exploitation of hydroelectric power, expanding electrification of rural areas, and promoting renewable energy development and energy conservation.
Current operation and assessment of solar potential power is limited, yet there are expectations of a substantial market, given a mean sunshine duration of 2,700 hours per year. Wind power potential is expected to be limited; however, there may be expansion of wind energy for pumping systems using mechanical windmills.
Bibliography
“Energy Profile Guinea.” International Renewable Energy Agency, 8 Aug. 2023, www.irena.org/-/media/Files/IRENA/Agency/Statistics/Statistical‗Profiles/Africa/Guinea‗Africa‗RE‗SP.pdf. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
"Guinea." CIA World Factbook, 31 July 2024, www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/guinea/. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
"Guinea—Country Commercial Guide." International Trade Administration, 24 Apr. 2024, www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/guinea-renewable-resources. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.
Ritchie, Hannah, and Max Roser. "Guinea: Energy Country Profile." Our World in Data, 2024, ourworldindata.org/energy/country/guinea. Accessed 1 Aug. 2024.