Chapter 603: The Energy Issue
What Ernst outlined was only a general development roadmap, which would inevitably change based on East Africa's real-world conditions. In truth, one cannot discuss the development of the automobile industry without addressing a new, critical issue: road construction.
Now that cars had emerged, East Africa's road development had to be prioritized. In the past, East Africa had built a fair number of roads—especially in the east—where road density could already be compared with some European countries.
However, these roads were of very low standards: gravel roads, dirt roads, cinder-covered roads, brick and stone roads, or occasionally cement roads.
More than 80% of roads in East Africa's wilderness and rural areas were dirt roads. Some were compacted, while villages near industrial areas might have cinder roads, and there were also a few with gravel surfaces.
Urban areas mainly had brick or stone roads, including flagstone paths. Within industrial zones, cement roads were common. But in cities with weaker economies, dirt roads were still prevalent—especially in western cities where infrastructure was seriously lacking.
That said, the eastern region wasn't necessarily much better. Although the eastern road quality surpassed the European average, road conditions in Europe at the time weren't exactly impressive either. All in all, they were on par.
With the rise of automobiles, the global road network would need to evolve to support future automotive development.
In Ernst's view, the compatibility between hardened road surfaces and rubber tires was one of the main driving forces behind modern road construction. They complemented each other—neither could succeed without the other. If classical wooden or iron wheels rolled on hard pavement, the noise alone would be unbearable.
Although hardened roads were the future, Ernst wasn't in a rush to implement them across East Africa. For one, the country was already overwhelmed with infrastructure projects, especially waterworks that required vast manpower. For another, preparation would take time.
Beyond roads, the next major issue East Africa had to address was fuel. The region's domestic petroleum industry had to be placed on the agenda.
Regardless of the situation, East Africa needed to develop some of its own petroleum resources to suppress the cost of imported oil. Ernst recalled the oil-producing areas in Africa from his previous life.
His first plan was to explore and develop the oil and gas reserves around Lake Turkana. This was a case of "solving a problem by working backward from the answer."
Lake Turkana's reserves weren't huge but weren't negligible either. There were at least several hundred million barrels—modest by future standards, but more than enough to support East Africa's early-stage needs.
During the World Wars, Romania's oil output was only about 7 to 10 million tons annually, even at peak wartime production. With that benchmark, Lake Turkana's oil—combined with imports—should last East Africa for 40 to 50 years in the early stages.
At that time, only a few countries produced oil, and their output was pitifully low. Thus, East Africa didn't need to immediately exploit Uganda or South Sudan's oil reserves.
In fact, East Africa had already signed multiple supply agreements with the U.S. and oil giants like Rockefeller. In Romania, the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and the Russian Empire, East Africa had even begun laying out its own oil industry footprint to train its future workforce and technical personnel.
But these efforts were only temporary solutions. East Africa wasn't exactly poor in oil, but it wasn't rich either. To ensure energy security, it would eventually have to take over Angola—especially the northern region near Luanda along the Congo River.
If East Africa could seize Luanda, its oil reserves would remain significant well into the 21st century. The oil potential of East Africa's eastern territories was also considerable, enough to sustain early development.
In terms of overall oil reserves, Africa ranked slightly above average among the continents, with most deposits concentrated in the north—particularly North and West Africa—which wasn't advantageous for present-day East Africa.
Still, East Africa did have oil in its northern territories, including the Nile Basin and the east. As for northern Angola, it was currently under Portuguese control.
In addition to these accessible resources, there was Alaska—a royal holding. But because it was so geographically isolated, Ernst didn't want it to develop too quickly. If its gold mines and oil fields were discovered prematurely, it could attract the attention of Japan, Russia, Canada (i.e., Britain), and the U.S.
To put it bluntly, the only reason the Far East Empire hadn't joined the fray yet was its current lack of power. The North Pacific was home to few small nations outside Southeast Asia.
Until East Africa could provide Alaska with military protection, Ernst believed it best to keep development there under wraps.
That said, developing Lake Turkana's oil wasn't going to be easy. Although Ernst was confident oil existed there, the technological challenge remained uncertain.
Still, by his estimate, it wouldn't be excessively difficult. Romania's oil came from the Black Sea region. Although Lake Turkana was only a saline lake, its size was decent, and there should be similarities between the two.
Exploration of Lake Turkana's resources could begin immediately—with top-tier experts brought in and aligned closely with East Africa's national defense strategy.
At the same time, Ernst thought about Germany's coal-to-oil technology from World War II—a viable path forward. East Africa had abundant coal, especially in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Botswana. While the latter two didn't match South Africa's scale, their reserves were still impressive.
In his previous life, South Africa's coal reserves were strong enough to compete with Australia, Russia, India, and Brazil in the global market.
Then there was biofuel. Although East Africa's corn output couldn't compare with the U.S., the cultivated area wasn't small—making it another viable option.
That led Ernst to think about East Africa's rich natural gas resources. These could partly substitute for oil and were widely distributed across the region, especially in the east.
From past experience, natural gas was particularly suitable for household energy and industrial use. While its role in transportation was limited compared to oil, it was a valuable supplement.
Most importantly, natural gas was a clean energy source—beneficial for environmental protection. Its development and use deserved East Africa's full attention. As time progressed, clean energy like natural gas would become increasingly valued.
Lastly, there was nuclear energy. It was likely too early to talk about utilizing nuclear power, and Ernst wasn't even sure he'd live to see it.
But East Africa had distinct advantages in this area, and Ernst already had a rough plan for its future nuclear energy layout.
He intended to locate nuclear facilities in Southwest Africa. First, the area was vast and sparsely populated, so even in the event of an accident, East Africa would be minimally affected. At worst, they could follow Britain's example and dump the waste into the Atlantic Ocean—since East Africa primarily relied on the Indian Ocean. That kind of strategy mimicked the behavior of rogue nations like Britain, the U.S., and Japan in later times. Second, Southwest Africa was already a major global uranium-producing region, with rivers carrying radioactive elements from upstream erosion. Third, it was an ideal place for East Africa's National Security Bureau to operate—secluded and secure, making it difficult for wartime sabotage like the bombing of German nuclear plants in WWII.
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