Africa is speeding up the development of renewable energy

According to the International Energy Agency's Electricity Market 2023 Report, renewable power generation in Africa will grow by more than 60 billion KWH between 2023 and 2025, increasing its share of total power generation from 24% in 2021 to 30% in 2025. According to a report in Rwanda's New Times newspaper, "Africa is rich in renewable energy. In recent years, Africa's rapid economic development and the realistic demand for energy transformation have provided a broad space for the development of renewable energy on the continent."

China has contributed to the implementation of the "Green Africa" blueprint

According to the World Economic Forum, only 2 per cent of the $2.8tn invested in renewable energy globally over the past 20 years has gone to Africa. Sacco, the African Union Commissioner for Agriculture, Rural Development, Blue economy and environmental sustainable development, said that the development of renewable energy in Africa still faces practical challenges such as lagging infrastructure construction and insufficient technical personnel. In recent years, China has strengthened cooperation with African countries in the fields of renewable energy such as hydropower, photovoltaic, wind power and energy storage to boost the development of relevant industries.

In the Kiryantongo region of west-central Uganda, workers from the China Water and Hydropower Construction Corporation are putting the finishing touches on the Karuma hydropower station. Built on the Nile River, the 600-megawatt hydropower station will be Uganda's largest clean power generation facility.

The Garissa photovoltaic power station in Kenya, built by China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Company, has an installed capacity of 50 megawatts and is the largest photovoltaic power station in East Africa so far. In Ethiopia, from the Adama wind farm in the highlands to the Ayisa Wind farm in the desert (see photo, photo by Jin Xin), clean energy is constantly being delivered to thousands of households.

In March 2023, the Fuxia Hydropower Station built by China Power Construction Group Co., Ltd. held a power generation ceremony for Unit 5. Today, five units of the Fuxia Hydropower Station operate day and night, providing a steady stream of electric energy, which has greatly alleviated the shortage of electricity in Zambia and promoted the economic development of Zambia and even southern African countries.

Humphrey Moxi, director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, told this reporter that China's renewable energy technology has advantages such as low cost, strong applicability and good docking conditions. Strengthening Africa-China renewable energy cooperation, on the one hand, is conducive to enhancing Africa's capacity for sustainable development, on the other hand, it can help make up for Africa's technical shortcomings in related fields. Through repeated cooperation, African countries have learned from China's advanced technology and management experience. "We hope that Africa and China will further promote renewable energy cooperation, continuously enrich the cooperation model and connotation, and help implement the blueprint of 'Green Africa'," Mossi said.