Africa energy conference to focus on renewable energy

A WIND farm. South Africa has coastal areas that lend themselves to wind power generation.

A WIND farm. South Africa has coastal areas that lend themselves to wind power generation.

Published Nov 12, 2018

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JOHANNESBURG - An Africa energy conference next February will discuss international climate change policies that are transforming the industry and renewable energy implementation on the continent, organisers said on Monday.

"The role of renewable power in meeting Africa’s energy needs will form a focal point of the 11th African Energy Indaba which has proven to be the continent’s leading energy summit," a statement said.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is prioritising five elements to fast-track the continent's economic transformation and has implemented an energy strategy which intends to ensure that the resource is more accessible, affordable, reliable and efficient.

Africa’s potential energy generation capacity is up to 1.2 terawatts excluding solar and above 10 terawatts including solar. 

By 2040, it is expected that over 25 percent of the region's total energy will be derived from geothermal, hydro, solar and wind.

Research by the The International Energy Agency shows that by using attested technologies, renewable energy could realise up to half of Africa’s total electrical power requirements by 2030, although this would require a considerable investment injection of $32 billion per year.

Being expensive and technically complex, Africa’s energy infrastructure projects have demanded outside assistance from large international energy players such as contractors from China.

Some 56 percent of the additional generation capacity developed, under construction or scheduled by Chinese companies in Africa this decade is from renewable sources, with large-scale hydropower forming the majority.

The continent is rich in natural energy sources such as oil, gas, coal, hydro, wind and geothermal, and inaccessibility to electricity offers governments, energy organisations and investors opportunities to provide millions of people with power.

- African News Agency (ANA)

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