Diplomatist Magazine Africa Day Special 2018 | Page 41

ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL
The use of solar-powered lights, basic
charging systems and appliances, and small
home solar systems is making a strong
foothold in the continent and has led to
increase in the sale of off-grid solutions
through pay-as-you-go (PAYG) solar
companies. Some of the top PAYG companies
in Africa are M-Kopa, Off-Grid Electric,
d.light, Bboxx, Nova Lumos and Mobisol,
which offer products from basic solar-
powered lights to small home solar systems.
Most of these companies are located in East
and West Africa.
Wind Energy: The wind resource
available in many parts of Africa including
the north-west Atlantic coast, the Red Sea
coasts, the Horn of Africa, South Africa
and Namibia is excellent. Most of the wind
projects in Africa are small in size with an
installed capacity of less than 150 MW, but
the total potential exceeds over 400 GW.
The installation cost of wind power
projects is comparatively higher in African
countries when compared to India and China.
The average price in African countries for
wind power projects varied from $600/Kwh
and $3,000/Kwh in countries like Kenya,
Morocco, and South Africa, which is a bit
higher than in countries like India and China
where it, on average, costs $1,300S$/Kwh.
The overall cost is expected to decline with a
shift in focus on buying locally manufactured
components for wind energy.
Energy from Biomass residue: In
Africa, Bagasse is the most important
source of bioenergy. Bagasse accounted for
94 percent of the total installed bioenergy
power generation capacity. Central Africa
has emerged as the leading producer of power
from biomass, with a share of over 60 percent.
Despite its huge potential, the production
of power from biomass causes problems such
as waste management and climate change.
Another impediment is that it involves
collecting and transporting residues which
add up to the production cost.
Bioenergy is still not fully tapped in
Africa but has huge potential for the future in
lighting up the continent. With a large forest
Renewable energy
is the future, and
Africa must harness
its natural resources
well to meet its future
energy requirements.
It is comparatively
cheaper than
conventional sources
of energy and
Africa can utilise its
resources well to
increase its power
generation.
cover, Africa has huge scope for bioenergy
as the biomass residue is readily available
at various stages of agricultural and forestry
production.
Geothermal Power: The resources for
geothermal power are mostly concentrated in
the rift valley, with countries like Kenya and
Ethiopia being rich in it. Africa’s estimated
geothermal potential is around 15 GW.
Geothermal energy is not as popular as other
sources of power generation as it requires
huge capital investments with huge upfront
costs. It also requires a well-connected
transmission line network.
Conclusion
Renewable energy is the future, and
Africa must harness its natural resources
well to meet its future energy requirements.
It is comparatively cheaper than conventional
sources of energy and Africa can utilise
its resources well to increase its power
generation.
Solar energy is the most promising
energy source for Africa, but other sources
of energy like wind and hydroelectric are
equally lucrative.
Over the last two decades, a lot of
progress has been ma de which has improved
the power situation in Africa. The future
seems bright for the power sector in Africa
as it embraces new technologies to cut down
installation costs. 
2018 • Africa Day Special • 37