Rationing power and diluting petrol – how African countries are coping with effects of Iran war

Countries across Africa have taken measures such as diluting petrol and restricting electricity consumption to cope with the fuel crisis triggered by the US and Israel’s war in Iran. South Sudan has started to ration electricity in its capital, Juba, while Mauritius has imposed restrictions to reduce wastage especially in high-power consumption areas. As governments look for alternative sources of fuel – and people fear rising prices – suppliers in Ethiopia have been ordered to prioritise specific sectors, while Zimbabwe is increasing the ethanol content in its petrol.

However, some nations such as Nigeria and South Africa could potentially benefit from new business as a result of the conflict. South Sudanhas some of East Africa’s largest oil reserves, but the majority is exported, while it imports the refined product needed for fuel. According to the International Energy Agency, South Sudan generates 96% of its electricity from oil.

The power rationing comes on top of the intermittent cuts that have been ongoing since May last year due to maintenance operations. On Wednesday, Juba’s main electricity distributor, Jedco, said parts of the city would start experiencing daily power cuts on a rotational basis. “Due to the ongoing Iran-US conflict…

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Jedco must proactively manage its available energy reserves… we are prioritising a strategic rationing of power,” it said. Ereneo Mogga, an electrical engineer who lives in one of the worst affected parts of Juba, told the BBC that power often goes off at 16:00 and doesn’t come back on until 04:00 the next day. “This paralyses most businesses,” he said, adding that some of those who can afford it are switching to solar power.

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