Can renewables put a spark in Africa’s clean energy future?
The African continent contributes less than 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions and its growing population suffers from some of the lowest access rates to electricity in the world. Yet, it is also home to some of the fastest growing economies and incredible renewable energy potential. Linking future growth to renewables is key to both the continent’s successful development and achieving global climate goals.
Energy development is deeply connected to a wide range of socio-economic issues. Nowhere is this more evident than in Africa where the deployment of renewable energy is increasingly seen as a game changer, whereby sustainable, clean energy can become a catalyst for far ranging social and economic development.
The irony is that although Africa is home to 17% of the world’s population it only accounts for 4% global energy demand, with approximately 43% of the continent’s population, roughly 600 million people, currently lacking access to reliable electricity.
Notwithstanding the sizeable population Africa only contributes a negligible share of global greenhouse gas emissions, and accounts for just 6% of global energy demand and 3% of electricity demand. This is particularly surprising as the main provider of energy in the region is currently wood biomass, and fossil fuels.
Yet centralized fossil fuel infrastructure has not been able to satisfy Africa’s current energy needs and will not be able to do so in the future. On the other hand, renewable energy technologies are emerging as a flexible combination of grid-based, off-grid and mini-grid solutions that can bring universal energy access for all Africans whilst limiting climate-related externalities.
An influential report by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Renewable Energy Market Analysis: Africa and its Regions, indicates that Africa is home to around 39% of the world’s renewable energy potential, the most of any other continent, and argues that renewable energy capacity in Africa could reach 310 GW by 2030.
This spark could come from a wide range of renewable sources. According to the African Development Bank Group, Africa has an almost unlimited potential of solar capacity (10 TW), abundant hydro (350 GW), wind (110 GW), and geothermal energy sources (15 GW).
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