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Congo joins liquified natural gas-producing countries with first export to Italy
Congo has begun the production of liquefied natural gas, a project estimated to produce three million tons of liquified natural gas per year.
The gas project which provides 70% of the country’s electricity was launched by President of the Republic Denis Sassou N'Guesso on February 27, 2024.
Minister of Hydrocarbons Bruno Jean Richard Itoua who was at the launch said the project which is the first of its kind in the hydrocarbon sector will not only turn the country’s energy history but promote wealth creation, employment, and economic growth in the country.
The project was spearheaded by Italian Energy company ENI Group, with an investment of 5 billion dollars, implementation of new infrastructure, and optimization of existing ones but was done in partnership with the Congo Petroleum Company.
CEO of ENI Group Claudio Descalzi noted that gas which represents the future will significantly impact the country’s fortunes.
“Today we come together to celebrate the history built over years of work and investment. Congo and ENI began developing gas several years ago, transformed into sustainable electrical energy for its population and its industry,” he said. For the first time, we have succeeded in launching the exploitation of liquefied natural gas from the Congolese coast thanks to innovative technologies used for the first time in Africa. As ENI, we believed in the development of gas in the early 2000s when no one was yet thinking, researching, or developing. A long story but not always simple, made of negotiations and investments but at the base a continuous collaboration with our partners and especially with Congolese institutions,” he was quoted by local news outlet Vox.
“Whether it concerns operation and production or projects linked to the development of the power plant and the electricity network, President Denis Sassou N'Guesso believed, because he had a clear vision that gas represented the future and development of the country with a particularly significant impact on the social fabric,” he continued.
The development places Congo among the ranks of liquified natural gas (LNG)-producing countries globally.
Meanwhile, ENI Group CEO Descalzi has noted that the first cargo ship loaded with LNG will move to the Italian regasification plant in the Tuscan town of Piombino in the coming days.
