Natural gas beats coal, oil as primary energy source

What you need to know:

-- Nuclear energy comprises about 39% of France’s primary energy consumption.

-- China was the world’s biggest energy consumer in 2013.

-- The US is the world’s second biggest energy consumer.

-- Russia has the biggest natural gas reserves in the world.

Dar es Salaam. The share of natural gas as primary energy source in the world has continued to grow, eating dominance of oil and coal sources over the last three decades.

According to the key world energy statistic report 2017 published by International Energy Agency (IEA), the share of natural gas increased to 26.9 per cent in 2016 from 18.9 per cent in 1973. The share of natural gas production in Africa has also improved from 0.8 per cent in 1973 to 5.7 per cent in 2016. Nigeria and Algeria were mentioned as major natural gas producers in Africa.

In Tanzania, according to the Ministry of Energy, natural gas is currently holding the largest share of electricity source as it accounts for 45 per cent, higher than hydro with 42 per cent and liquid fuel by 13 per cent.

The recent discovery of 55.08 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves off the coast of Tanzania has put the country on the world energy map.

The natural gas produced is mainly consumed by industries (37.7 per cent), residential (30 per cent), commercial and public services (13 per cent), transport (7 per cent) and non-energy use (11.4 per cent).

The report has shown that coal and oil which accounted for 75.2 per cent share of global primary energy source in 1973 fell to 53.1 per cent in 2016.

Oil has remained the major source of primary energy in the world, but its share had dropped to 36.1 per cent in 2016 from 52.6 per cent in 1973.

Coal, which accounted for 22.6 per cent of energy source share in 1973 also experienced a shrinking over the last three decades as it accounted for 17.1 per cent in 2016. Coal was outshined by natural gas from the second position in 1973 to the third position in 2016.

Other energy sources which increased their shares during the period under review were nuclear from 1.3 per cent in 1973 to 9.8 in 2016 and biofuel and waste which gained to 5.7 per cent from 2.3 per cent in 1973. The share of hydropower which accounted for 2.1 per cent in 1973 also improved to 2.3 per cent while the share of other sources gained from 0.2 per cent in 1973 to 2.2 per cent in 2016.

Other sources include geothermal, wind, solar, tide, heat and ocean.