Africa to be partly powered by renewable energy, says new report

The new study, entitled ‘Africa 2030’, finds that a combination of modern renewable technology can meet 22 per cent of Africa’s energy needs in 15 years time, an increase of 17 per cent compared with 2013.

The report also cites the scaling up of modern renewables as an affordable means of meeting fast-growing energy demands while increasing energy access, improving health and achieving sustainability goals.

Adnan Z. Amin, IRENA Director-General, said: “Africa holds some of the best renewable energy resources in the world in the form of biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind.

“This, combined with the precipitous drop of renewable energy technology costs, creates a massive opportunity for African countries to both transform and expand their energy systems while providing a pathway for low-carbon economic growth.”

Biomass-based heat applications will provide an estimated 50 per cent of the energy from the recommended options, with half of all energy use in Africa today involving traditional biomass consumption.

The paper suggests a shift to modern renewable energy cooking solutions would reduce the use of traditional cook stoves by more than 60 per cent, saving 20 to 30 billion dollars annually by 2030 through the reduction of health complications from poor indoor air quality.

The continent’s strong solar, geothermal and wind energy potential are also identified by the report, which has been released as part of the South Africa International Renewable Energy Conference, which is themed this year as ‘RE-energising Africa’.