Fossil gas

The document examines the role of fossil gas in South Africa, detailing its current use in power generation and chemical feedstock, while arguing against its use as a 'bridge fuel'. It highlights the high global warming potential of methane leaks, the risk of stranded assets, and the availability of cheaper renewable alternatives combined with energy storage. The author concludes that South Africa should avoid new gas exploration and infrastructure to align with the 1.5°C warming limit and its own 2050 net-zero target.

• Fossil gas accounted for 3% of South Africa's total primary energy supply in 2016, with 82% of that supply being imported.
• While fossil gas emits less carbon dioxide than coal during combustion, its total climate impact is severe due to fugitive methane emissions, which have a global warming potential 29.8 times higher than CO2 over 100 years and 84-86 times higher over 20 years.
• The document rejects the 'bridge fuel' argument, stating that renewable energy combined with storage, green hydrogen, and electric vehicles are already cheaper or will be soon, making new gas infrastructure a risk for stranded assets.
• South Africa's current gas-fired power capacity consists of seven turbines (four owned by Eskom) intended for peak demand, but these often run on expensive diesel due to coal capacity shortages.
• Gas supply security is precarious, as evidenced by the 2021 halting of development in Mozambique's second-largest gas field due to armed conflict in Cabo Delgado province.
• To maintain a 50% probability of limiting warming to 1.5°C, global oil and gas production must decline by at least 3% annually until 2050, with global gas use halved by 2040 relative to 2020 levels.
• The document recommends that the South African government end all subsidies for fossil fuels, including tax breaks and guaranteed minimum prices, and cease all new exploration or investment in indigenous or exporting gas reserves.

APA

Hendry, P. (n.d.). Fossil gas. WWF South Africa. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/fossil_gas_factsheet.pdf

Chicago

Hendry, Patrick. Fossil gas. WWF South Africa, n.d. https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/fossil_gas_factsheet.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hendry |first1=Patrick |title=Fossil gas |publisher=WWF South Africa |url=https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/fossil_gas_factsheet.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hendryndfossil, author = {Hendry, Patrick}, title = {{Fossil gas}}, institution = {WWF South Africa}, url = {https://wwfafrica.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/fossil_gas_factsheet.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }