A new report launched on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference in Brazil says Africa has huge potential to grow its green energy potential.
The unfortunate reality is that the continent has not had enough investment to economically exploit its energy from solar, wind, hydro power, nuclear, and geothermal resources.
Liu Zehong, Executive Vice Chairman of Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), said Africa is a land of opportunities and challenges regarding the energy sector.
“On one hand, the continent is rich in clean energy and mineral resources. Africa holds about 52% of the world’s solar potential, 40% of wind, and 12% of hydropower. It has vast potential for development,” Zehong, whose organisation released the report on green electricity interconnection around the world.
“On the other hand, Africa still faces challenges such as limited energy supply, weak infrastructure, slow industrialization, and low climate resilience. To address these issues, Africa should make full use of its clean energy advantages,” Zehong.
He suggested the need to promote Africa’s energy interconnection to build a clean, electricity-centric, interconnected, and smart energy system across the continent.
“This will speed up clean energy development, reduce fossil fuel dependence, and drive industrial transformation. It will support Africa’s green industrial and modern growth and provide affordable, sustainable energy for all,” he said.
The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), headquartered in Beijing, China, is an international organization among willing firms, associations, institutions, and individuals dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of energy worldwide.
It has 503 members from 80 countries, covering electric power, information, environmental protection, energy, scientific research, consulting, and finance.
In this year‘s report,t GEIDCO, an outfit of the 2025 Paris Agreement, suggests three actions for Africa, including the promotion of integrated clean energy development, the development of large-scale solar, wind, and hydropower bases. And the distribution of power generation based on local conditions.
“Each country can explore its own green and low-carbon paths. Our studies show that by 2050, Africa could host several 10-gigawatt-level clean energy bases, with a total capacity of over 630 gigawatts. This will provide strong support for a clean, secure, and efficient power supply,” he said.
He said Africa needs to strengthen power interconnection, enhance national and cross-border growth using advanced technology to enable large-scale clean energy delivery and sharing.
He said those actions will ensure low-cost green electricity, boost industrialization, and help shift exports from raw material to high-value products. “It will enhance both the quality and efficiency of Africa’s economic growth,” said.
While it has been noted that Africa holds 60 per cent of the world’s solar potential, studies indicate that it attracts less than 3 per cent of global energy financing.
As a result, over 600 million people across Africa still lack access to electricity, even as demand for power surges with rapid population growth, urban expansion, and industrial ambition. While the world talks of energy transitions, much of Africa remains stuck in energy deprivation.
Present at the launch was Dr. Kevin Kariuki, the Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate, and Green Growth at the African Development Bank. He pointed out the relevance of green electrification in Africa.
“Africa has abundant renewable energy sources, including 60% of the world’s best irradiation that amounts to more than 10 terawatts or 10,000 gigawatts, of which only 66 gigawatts have been harnessed,” said Karuiki.
He said the 66 gigawatts is use is less than 1% of the capacity on the African continent.
Africa has more than 350 gigawatts of hydropower potential, of which less than 7% has been exploited. This is in addition to over 115 gigawatts of wind, as well as 45 gigawatts of geothermal potential. But we all know that Africa has 600 million people without access to electricity, and 1 billion lacking access to clean cooking,” Karuiki said
Electricity demand will continue to grow beyond the current level. Africa holds 60 per cent of the world’s solar potential, studies indicate that it attracts less than 3 per cent of global energy financing.
The report estimated that by 2060, the electrification rates around the world will be about 70%. It says to power that future, the global power flow will be around electricity will be about gigawatts, enabling the development of new energy.
Commenting on the Africa section of the GEIDCO report, Karuiki said it is relevant given some of the recent electricity gains in Africa, especially in countries such as Kenya and Rwanda, in terms of green electrification. He said some of the countries have, in just a few years, stepped up the power generation from green energy sources.
These include the 510 megawatts Nur Wazizate in Morocco, which was until recently the world’s largest concentrated solar power plant, and the 310 megawatts electric wind project in Kenya, as well as the 5,150 gigawatts of Ethiopia’s Grand Renaissance Dam, and the 2,115 megawatts Julius Nyerere dam in Tanzania.
The African Development Bank is committed to significantly doubling its climate financing to $25 billion between 2020 and 2025. This ambitious target aims to mobilize an additional $100 billion for low-carbon and climate-resilient investments across Africa.
The bank has also made significant allocations to renewable energy projects across Africa, reflecting its commitment to enhancing energy access and sustainability on the continent.
“We also have similar ideas at AFDB. Over the last 10 years, our portfolio has increased to 90% green. So I think we see things from a very similar perspective with GEIDCO,” said Karuiki.
The African Union’s vision for Africa outlines green energy as part of its priorities. It seeks to develop the system designs that will underpin the physical intra- and inter-regional interconnections that will be the foundation for the AU’s Africa.
Electricity demand will continue to grow beyond the current level. The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) estimated that by 2060, the electrification rates around the world will be about 70%. It says to power that future, the global power flow will be around electricity will be about gigawatts, enabling the development of new energy.
GEIDCO predicts that greenhouse gas neutrality could be achieved before 2060 through a three-phase transition. Greenhouse gas neutrality technically means that other gases harmful to the climate, such as methane and nitrous oxide, are not emitted at all, or their emissions are offset.
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