Liverpool Engineers and Africa’s Energy Transition: Reflections Following the Ministerial Visit

When representatives from the Department for International Trade visited Clarke Energy’s headquarters in Liverpool this week, the discussion naturally focused on exports, engineering capability and the growing role British businesses can play in supporting energy infrastructure development across Africa.

But the conversations also highlighted something broader.

Across many African markets, the challenge is not simply “energy transition” in the way it is often discussed in developed economies. The challenge is providing reliable, scalable and economically viable power infrastructure in regions where demand growth is accelerating faster than grid expansion.

That reality changes the conversation considerably.

Over recent years, I have had the opportunity to work alongside teams involved in projects across multiple African countries, supporting applications ranging from industrial facilities and distributed power generation through to energy recovery and gas-based infrastructure projects. What consistently stands out is the importance of practical engineering solutions that reflect local operating realities rather than theoretical energy models.

In many cases, resilience comes first.

Power systems must operate in environments where grid stability cannot always be assumed, fuel infrastructure may still be developing, and industrial growth depends on dependable on-site generation. Reliability is not treated as a premium feature. It becomes fundamental economic infrastructure.

That creates an environment where distributed energy technologies can play an important role.

Gas engines, hybrid power systems and flexible generation platforms can help bridge the gap between immediate energy requirements and longer-term grid development. Importantly, many of these systems can also create a pathway toward lower-carbon operation over time through the integration of renewable gases, waste-derived fuels and future hybridisation opportunities.

This is one of the reasons I continue to believe strongly in pragmatic approaches to decarbonisation.

The global energy transition will not follow a single pathway. Different regions face different constraints, different growth profiles and different infrastructure priorities. The engineering challenge is therefore not only to reduce emissions, but to do so while maintaining reliability, supporting economic development and enabling long-term energy resilience.

One of the more encouraging aspects of this week’s visit was seeing recognition of the role British engineering expertise can continue to play internationally. Liverpool has a long industrial and trading heritage, and it is encouraging to see advanced energy technologies developed and delivered from the region supporting infrastructure projects around the world.

As energy systems continue to evolve globally, I suspect the importance of flexible, distributed and resilient power infrastructure will only increase — particularly in fast-growing economies where access to dependable energy remains closely linked to industrial development and long-term economic growth.

The conversations taking place today around resilience, decentralisation and flexible generation are likely only the beginning.