Renewable energy sources ideal for meeting Africa’s electrical power needs

ABOUT half of sub-Saharan Africa’s population today does not have access to electricity.

Those who do have electricity pay on average nearly twice as much as consumers elsewhere in the world.

Power shortages cost the continent about 2% to 4% of GDP a year.

And the large electricity needs will only grow in the foreseeable future.

Given that the population in subSaharan Africa is expected to grow from one billion in 2018 to more than two billion in 2050, the demand for electricity is projected to expand by 3% a year.

This takes into account a steady increase in access to electricity as well as greater energy efficiency.

Meeting that demand with current energy sources would have severe consequences for health and the environment.

The current energy mix in Africa is based mostly on burning coal, oil, and traditional biomass (wood, charcoal, dry dung fuel).

This reflects the energy resources of the continent, but also the use of technologies of the past.

While this energy mix is comparatively cheap, it is insufficient to meet current needs, and negative effects on the environment are left unaddressed. The continent’s sources of energy will need to change, especially if African governments aim to achieve a healthy environment for their citizens and meet the emission limits for greenhouse gases set by the 2015 Paris Agreement.

Fortunately, thanks to notable technological advances, Africa does not have to rely on large amounts of fossil fuel, as advanced economies did when they were at Africa’s current stage of development.

There is the option to design an energy mix, built largely on renewable sources that support both strong growth and low emissions.

Apart from ensuring an ecologically sustainable approach to development, investing in renewable energy will also generate new job opportunities.

The right energy mix will allow Africa to develop rapidly while respecting the emission levels required under the 2015 Paris Agreement, in which governments commit to limiting global warming to 2°C above preindustrial levels.

Other researchers have proposed different mixes, all making use of these technologies.

However, these technologies carry risks. Biomass production competes with food cultivation and nature conservation.

Carbon capture and storage have not yet been tested at an industrial scale. Both technologies can face resistance from local populations.

To avoid large-scale reliance on unsustainable technology, Africa will need to move towards an economically and environmentally sound energy mix.

This will require addressing the financial challenges of installing renewable energy capacity while seizing opportunities provided by falling prices and technological progress.

Prices for renewable energy have fallen substantially in the past few years, especially for solar power, whose cost decreased 77% between 2010 and 2018 according to the International Renewable Energy Agency.

While biomass, geothermal energy, and hydropower cost the least, these sources have limited potential.

Both geothermal energy and hydropower can reach a value that is several times larger than today’s generation capacity. The energy need, however, far exceeds this capacity. New Energy