Africa is speeding up the development of renewable energy



According to the International Energy Agency, Africa has rich renewable energy resources, solar energy, wind energy and water energy reserves account for 40%, 32% and 12% of the world, respectively, and the development potential of renewable energy is huge. In recent years, African countries have accelerated the development of renewable energy. China attaches great importance to renewable energy cooperation with Africa, and more and more Chinese enterprises are participating in Africa's green development process.

We will actively promote the construction of renewable energy projects

At present, many African countries are actively promoting the construction of renewable energy projects. Tunisia's National Energy Management Agency recently announced that it will develop renewable energy as a national strategy, and strive to increase the share of renewable energy in total power generation from less than 3% in 2022 to 24% by 2025. Tunisia has more than 3,000 hours of sunshine a year, and the government plans to build eight solar photovoltaic plants and eight wind power plants between 2023 and 2025, with a total installed capacity of 800 MW and 600 MW respectively. At present, several renewable energy construction projects with a total investment of 4 billion Tunisian dinars (1 US dollar is about 3.1 Tunisian dinars) are ready and are expected to create thousands of jobs.

According to Niger's latest energy strategic plan, 30% of the country's electricity will come from renewable sources by 2030, and the installed power capacity will be increased by at least five times to 2,000 megawatts. Niger's Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energy recently said that Niger will fully exploit the abundant wind energy in the southern region, the construction of the country's first wind farm, designed with a capacity of 250 megawatts, consisting of 60 wind turbines, planned to be connected to the grid in 2025. When completed, the project is expected to increase Niger's power generation capacity by more than 40 percent and enable it to export electricity to neighboring countries at more competitive prices.

At present, the total installed capacity of renewable energy generation projects approved by the Egyptian government has exceeded 12 GW. The Egyptian government said that it will make full use of solar, wind and other resources to promote more renewable energy power generation projects. Morocco plans to increase its renewable energy capacity to 12 gigawatts by 2030, increasing the share of renewables in the overall energy mix from 40% today to 52% in the next eight years.

Namibia aims to generate 70% of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. Kenya has set wind power, geothermal and other renewable energy projects as its development priorities. The integrated development project, jointly implemented by Sierra Leone, Liberia, Togo and Chad, is expected to be completed in four years and will provide 106 MW of solar power capacity, increase hydropower capacity by 41 MW, while strengthening distribution and transmission systems.

The "2023 Outlook Report" released by the African Solar Industry Association last year shows that the development of the photovoltaic industry in Africa is accelerating. South Africa, Morocco, Egypt and other countries continue to take the lead in photovoltaic construction projects, and more and more regional countries such as Cape Verde, Botswana, Eritrea, etc., are increasing investment in the photovoltaic industry and starting to build and operate large-scale photovoltaic projects.

Africa has great potential for renewable energy development

At the ABU Dhabi Sustainable Development Week 2023 held last year, participants jointly launched the African renewable energy industry Development Initiative, believing that Africa's renewable energy endowment is superior and the development potential is huge. It is expected that by 2050, the installed solar photovoltaic capacity in Africa will grow to 650 GW. Africa's renewable energy transition will unlock 1.2 terawatts of renewable energy potential, generate 14 million new jobs and boost regional GDP by around 6.4%. The initiative calls for enhanced financial, technological and socio-economic investments to scale up Africa's capacity for renewable energy transition and development.

In a report, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa highlighted renewable energy sources such as solar, wind and hydro as viable alternatives to meet the continent's rapidly growing demand for electricity. The World Bank is optimistic about Africa's renewable energy prospects and has recently agreed to invest $311 million in renewable energy projects in West and Central Africa.

According to the Africa Energy Transition Report recently released by data analysis and consulting firm Global Data, the huge potential of renewable energy generation will create conditions for Africa to develop other energy sources, especially green hydrogen technology. In May 2022, the African Green Hydrogen Alliance was launched by six countries - South Africa, Namibia, Kenya, Egypt, Morocco and Mauritania - to accelerate the continent's transition away from fossil fuels and towards 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.