Does Africa really need coal power plants?

LOBBYISTS the world over have consistently opposed coal power production saying it was unclean and unsafe with disadvantages outweighing benefits.

However, it seems that Africa is on a roll establishing coal plants to meet the power deficit on the continent.

This is despite the huge potential that Africa has in producing clean energy.

For instance, the Congo River has the capacity to power the entire continent if the resource is well utilised.

Other resources that have yet to be fully exploited include wind and solar, which are readily available on the entire continent.

Despite the opposition to coal power, the African Development Bank (AfDB) last year approved recommendations to bring the Sendou coal-fired power plant project in Senegal into compliance with its policies and procedures.

The compliance review report was approved with a mitigation action plan prepared by the bank’s management.

The board’s decision was set to trigger the process of resolving the main concerns raised by the complainants that the Sendou power plant would have negative impacts and consequences on their environment and their lives.

It may be converted to run on natural gas once domestic gas is available.

Coal power has been met with opposition in countries like Kenya, where the Lamu coal power plant has not sat well among locals and activists.

The project in Lamu conflicts with the area being a Unesco heritage site and a major tourist attraction.

Farmers and fishermen in Lamu will have their livelihoods destroyed if the ambitious 3 000 megawatt project goes ahead.

In South Africa, Life After Coal and Greenpeace Africa have slammed the Integrated Resource Plan for Electricity (IRP) saying that if the Department of Energy were to publish the least-cost plan that civil society organisations have been demanding, it would not include any new coal.

The civic society organisations argue that allowing the two new coal plants contemplated by the draft IRP would be disastrous for water resources, air quality, health, land and the climate.

Currently, Africa has eight active coal power plants.

Botswana has the highest number of active plants at four while Morocco and South Africa have two each.