As modern time comes many things goes to changes. This modernization which results to invent new things that also requires more energy. People need energy in order to use the gadgets that they have. Businessmen depend on energy to run their factories and plants. Also small and big communities require energy to create better lives for the people. In order to sustain the needs, country to country look for other energy resources.
Like in Africa, power is the key to economic growth and competitiveness. The continent has massive potential to use renewable energy sources as it seeks to address an electricity shortage that has left more than half of the continent’s one billion people without access to power.
Here’s a look at the potential renewable energy in Africa.
Solar
The whole African continent receives an average 325 days per year of bright sunlight. Without the need of any expensive large scale grid, the solar power is a potential to bring energy to any location in Africa.
It is also known that distribution of solar power across Africa is fairly uniform, with more than 80 percent of their landscape receiving almost 2000 kW·h per square meter per year. Strengthening legislation across sub-Saharan Africa for managing solar energy off-grid could massively boost projects in this sector.
Wind
The west coast of Africa has substantial wind generation capacity, where wind speeds sometimes exceed a very high 11m/s. Due to wind speeds, the greatest potential for wind power exists in West Africa. A few wind projects of 30 to 50MW in Senegal are just the start. Wind projects in Cape Verde, according to energy officials, could help the country escape its dependence on fuel imports.
Hydropower
Hydropower provides great opportunities across the entire sub-Saharan African region. The Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia is expected to deliver up to 6,000MW to the country, with neighboring Djibouti and Somalia inquiring about the potential of importing such energy.
Furthermore, Africa has the hydroelectric capability of 1 888 terawatt hours a year (TWh/yr), of which about 41% (or 774 TWh/yr) is situated in the DRC on the Congo River. Ethiopia’s Blue Nile also has potential hydroelectric capacity of 260 TWh/yr, while Cameroon has 115 TWh/yr and Madagascar has 180 TWh/yr. To put that in context, Russia’s entire renewable energy production in 2011 was estimated at 166.6 TW/yr.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy continues to emerge as a potential hidden gem in the sub-Saharan African electricity grid. Recent projects in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria speak to the potential and rising interest as geothermal opportunities are also related to the emerging gas and oil discoveries.
Biofuel
The use of biomass has a bad effect to nature and makes cause damaged to biodiversity. Biofuel energy production remains limited, despite the fact that the sector grew to an estimated 300 million liters in 2012. Whilst land concessions continue to raise concerns, better land policies and improved mixed farming for food and energy should silence critics. Taking into respect the cost differential between the biomass and fossil fuels, it is far more cost-effective to improve the technology used to burn the biomass than to use fossil fuels.
Access to this modern renewable energy will be making a great impact not just for the people but also the whole community of Africa. Also renewable energy will motivate growth of the economy to generate high employment, improves education and provides quality healthcare with the use of said energy.
Like in Africa, power is the key to economic growth and competitiveness. The continent has massive potential to use renewable energy sources as it seeks to address an electricity shortage that has left more than half of the continent’s one billion people without access to power.
Here’s a look at the potential renewable energy in Africa.
Solar
The whole African continent receives an average 325 days per year of bright sunlight. Without the need of any expensive large scale grid, the solar power is a potential to bring energy to any location in Africa.
It is also known that distribution of solar power across Africa is fairly uniform, with more than 80 percent of their landscape receiving almost 2000 kW·h per square meter per year. Strengthening legislation across sub-Saharan Africa for managing solar energy off-grid could massively boost projects in this sector.
Wind
The west coast of Africa has substantial wind generation capacity, where wind speeds sometimes exceed a very high 11m/s. Due to wind speeds, the greatest potential for wind power exists in West Africa. A few wind projects of 30 to 50MW in Senegal are just the start. Wind projects in Cape Verde, according to energy officials, could help the country escape its dependence on fuel imports.
Hydropower
Hydropower provides great opportunities across the entire sub-Saharan African region. The Grand Renaissance Dam in Ethiopia is expected to deliver up to 6,000MW to the country, with neighboring Djibouti and Somalia inquiring about the potential of importing such energy.
Furthermore, Africa has the hydroelectric capability of 1 888 terawatt hours a year (TWh/yr), of which about 41% (or 774 TWh/yr) is situated in the DRC on the Congo River. Ethiopia’s Blue Nile also has potential hydroelectric capacity of 260 TWh/yr, while Cameroon has 115 TWh/yr and Madagascar has 180 TWh/yr. To put that in context, Russia’s entire renewable energy production in 2011 was estimated at 166.6 TW/yr.
Geothermal
Geothermal energy continues to emerge as a potential hidden gem in the sub-Saharan African electricity grid. Recent projects in Ethiopia, Rwanda, Ghana and Nigeria speak to the potential and rising interest as geothermal opportunities are also related to the emerging gas and oil discoveries.
Biofuel
The use of biomass has a bad effect to nature and makes cause damaged to biodiversity. Biofuel energy production remains limited, despite the fact that the sector grew to an estimated 300 million liters in 2012. Whilst land concessions continue to raise concerns, better land policies and improved mixed farming for food and energy should silence critics. Taking into respect the cost differential between the biomass and fossil fuels, it is far more cost-effective to improve the technology used to burn the biomass than to use fossil fuels.
Access to this modern renewable energy will be making a great impact not just for the people but also the whole community of Africa. Also renewable energy will motivate growth of the economy to generate high employment, improves education and provides quality healthcare with the use of said energy.
Humphrey Kariuki Ndegwa is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Dalbit International. A business that started in Kenya, Dalbit has now grown into a pan-African petroleum conglomerate that also advocates for holistic development in the region.