‘Green’ energy can play 25% role

AFRICA could generate nearly a quarter of its energy through renewables by 2030, according to a report released yesterday by the International Renewable Energy Agency.

The agency’s director-general, Adnan Amin, said Africa held some of the best renewable energy in the world in the form of solar, wind, hydro, geothermal and biomass.

“This, combined with the precipitous drop of renewable energy technology costs, creates a massive opportunity for African countries to both transform and expand their energy systems while providing a pathway for low-carbon economic growth,” Amin said.

The report said a combination of modern renewable technology could meet as much as 22% of Africa’s energy needs in the next 15 years. This would mean a fourfold increase in renewables, which stood at just 5%t in 2013.

Increasing renewables was also an affordable way to help meet Africa’s energy demand, and increasing energy access to many without electricity.

The report identified options for renewable energy equivalent to more than 341 megatons of coal.

About 40% of this would be in the power sector.

It was found that solar sources were abundant across the continent, with geothermal strong in the Great Rift Valley and wind strongest in the north, east and south.

The price of renewables was lower than before, and solar and wind projects were producing electricity at “record low” prices, the report said.

It recommends 14 steps to speed up the investment of renewables in Africa, including regulatory frameworks.

“The onus is now on Africa’s governments to create conditions to accelerate deployment, paving the way for Africa’s sustainable development,” Amin said.

The International Energy Agency said in its annual market report that renewable energy would represent the single largest source of electricity growth over the next five years.

This was largely because of falling costs and the “aggressive expansion” by emerging economies.