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IEA sees role for renewables in sub-Saharan Africa
- 10 years ago (2014-10-15)
- Junior Isles
A new International Energy Agency (IEA) report released this week claims that renewables including hydroelectric power will satisfy almost half of Africa’s additional energy needs until 2040, despite anticipated sub-Saharan demand growing by 80 per cent as the economy quadruples in size.
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The IEA predicts the continent will take “a major step forward” by introducing electricity to rural areas and raising the population out of poverty.
“Many governments are now intensifying their efforts to tackle the numerous regulatory and political barriers that are holding back investment in domestic energy supply,” the report claims but adds that “inadequate energy infrastructure risks putting a brake on urgently needed improvements”.
Despite the progress, the report highlights the distance that must be travelled to bring sub-Saharan Africa close to the energy standards enjoyed in developed nations.
Only 290 million of the region’s 915 million people have access to electricity and consequently the population accounts for only 4 per cent of global energy demand, despite significantly more than 1 in 10 people being from the region.
Additionally, funding for around two thirds of the energy supply ends up being directed away from the local population and used on products and resources for export.
Energy use is growing quickly though, with a 45 per cent increase on 2000, and the IEA expects a quadrupling of generation capacity by 2040 to keep up.
In terms of energy equity the picture remains still stark, with around half the 90 GW grid supply available in 2014 located in South Africa alone, and the IEA expects more than 500 million people to still be without energy access in 2040.
Utility scale hydro and fossil fuel plants will help improve urban energy access, the IEA predicts, with renewable energy driving electrification in rural areas. Up to 70 per cent of those gaining rural access will be connected to mini and off-grid systems, two-thirds of which will be by solar, wind and small hydroelectric plants.
Renewable sources as a whole, led by solar energy, will make a growing contribution to the grid, with hydro well placed to explode as barely 10 per cent of potential hydropower resources currently in use.A new International Energy Agency (IEA) report released this week claims that renewables including hydroelectric power will satisfy almost half of Africa’s additional energy needs until 2040, despite anticipated sub-Saharan demand growing by 80 per cent as the economy quadruples in size.
The IEA predicts the continent will take “a major step forward” by introducing electricity to rural areas and raising the population out of poverty.
“Many governments are now intensifying their efforts to tackle the numerous regulatory and political barriers that are holding back investment in domestic energy supply,” the report claims but adds that “inadequate energy infrastructure risks putting a brake on urgently needed improvements”.
Despite the progress, the report highlights the distance that must be travelled to bring sub-Saharan Africa close to the energy standards enjoyed in developed nations.
Only 290 million of the region’s 915 million people have access to electricity and consequently the population accounts for only 4 per cent of global energy demand, despite significantly more than 1 in 10 people being from the region.
Additionally, funding for around two thirds of the energy supply ends up being directed away from the local population and used on products and resources for export.
Energy use is growing quickly though, with a 45 per cent increase on 2000, and the IEA expects a quadrupling of generation capacity by 2040 to keep up.
In terms of energy equity the picture remains still stark, with around half the 90 GW grid supply available in 2014 located in South Africa alone, and the IEA expects more than 500 million people to still be without energy access in 2040.
Utility scale hydro and fossil fuel plants will help improve urban energy access, the IEA predicts, with renewable energy driving electrification in rural areas. Up to 70 per cent of those gaining rural access will be connected to mini and off-grid systems, two-thirds of which will be by solar, wind and small hydroelectric plants.
Renewable sources as a whole, led by solar energy, will make a growing contribution to the grid, with hydro well placed to explode as barely 10 per cent of potential hydropower resources currently in use.