A sweeping cross-border pipeline project, known as the Central African Pipeline System (CAPS), is gaining traction as one of Central Africa’s most transformative energy infrastructure undertakings. Designed to link oil, gas, and LPG supply chains across up to 11 nations, the initiative has taken a key step forward following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Central African Economic and Monetary Community (CEMAC), the African Petroleum Producers’ Organization (APPO), and the Central Africa Business and Energy Forum (CABEF).
CAPS envisions a 6,500-kilometre integrated network that includes pumping stations, storage terminals, refineries, and gas-fired power plants. The infrastructure is aimed at reducing regional dependence on imported fuels, expanding energy access, and catalyzing industrial development.
At the upcoming African Energy Week (AEW) 2025, to be held in Cape Town, Equatorial Guinea’s Minister of Mines and Hydrocarbons, Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, is expected to provide an update on the project’s milestones and development outlook. Lima, who also serves as President of the Strategic Partnership and Fund Committee for CAPS, has positioned the project as a regional priority, emphasizing collaboration and long-term energy resilience.
Unlike fragmented national energy strategies that have often hindered collective progress, CAPS reflects a shift toward integrated regional planning. The involvement of CEMAC and APPO underscores its alignment with a broader pan-African energy strategy. The project is also likely to benefit from upcoming capital allocations by the African Energy Bank, a newly launched multilateral institution focused on financing strategic hydrocarbon projects on the continent.
For countries such as Chad, the Republic of Congo, Equatorial Guinea, and the Central African Republic—where large portions of the population still lack access to electricity—CAPS presents an opportunity to accelerate economic growth through improved domestic energy security and industrial expansion.
While the economic rationale for CAPS is clear, environmental and social implications remain under scrutiny. Much of Central Africa is home to ecologically fragile zones, including rainforests and carbon-rich peatlands. Environmental advocates have raised concerns about potential habitat disruption, displacement of communities, and the risk of deepening fossil fuel dependency at a time when renewable alternatives are increasingly viable and affordable.
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Minister Lima has indicated that a comprehensive feasibility study, to be completed by 2026, will guide the project’s technical and environmental framework. Preliminary assessments are already underway in hydrocarbon-rich regions such as Equatorial Guinea and Cameroon.
If implemented with transparency and sustainability at its core, CAPS could become a cornerstone of Central Africa’s energy future. It offers the prospect of reducing energy poverty, improving cross-border energy trade, and supporting the continent’s industrialization goals. However, the initiative’s long-term legitimacy will depend on its ability to reconcile energy expansion with ecological preservation and inclusive governance.
As African Energy Week approaches, the project stands at a crossroads—symbolizing both the potential and the complexity of building infrastructure that serves present demands without compromising the future.
