About Africa #19: Sustainability in Africa
The African continent is working towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations for their 2030 Agenda, and one of their main focusses is on "Sustainable Development Goal 7 – Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all."
This is also in line with the African Union's own Agenda 2063, which include:
Goal 1 – A high standard of living, quality of life and
well-being for all citizensGoal 6 – Blue/ocean economy for accelerated economic
growthGoal 7 – Environmentally sustainable and climate resilient
economies and communitiesGoal 10 – World class infrastructure crisscrosses Africa
That said, let's look at some news and data to see where the continent stands.
Let's start with African countries who have already successfully achieved access to sustainable and modern energy:
Here are 10 African countries with the best electricity access
The article above mentions how these 10 countries are primarily relying on renewable energy. That is supported by this chart from the 2023 Africa Sustainable Development Report:
Moving forward, here are some more African countries moving towards renewable energy:
Arnergy Collaborated with MEMMCOL to Deliver 540kWh Lithium-Based Power Solutions in Abuja
With the delivery of this major renewable energy transition project in Abuja, Arnergy and MEMMCOL (BDP) are elevating the sustainability drive for infrastructures and businesses in Nigeria towards strengthening the nation’s economy and contributing to achieving SDG 7 and a greener climate.
10 biggest wind energy projects in South Africa
According the South African Wind Energy Association (Sawea), South Africa leads the charge in Africa, accounting for 30% of the continent’s 9GW of installed wind energy capacity.
Namibian Energy Minister Tom Alweendo to Speak at African Energy Week (AEW) 2024: Invest in African Energy
“Namibia continues to make strides towards unlocking the full potential of its energy sector. Attractive regulation, long-term development plans and an integration approach to developing resources further consolidates the country’s position as a regional hub. As interest continues to turn towards the country’s oil, gas and green energy opportunities, AEW 2024: Invest in African Energy will connect capital to projects and partners with authorities,” stated NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.
A New Project in Kenya has Opted to Take its Energy Supply from Geothermal Sources
Kenya’s booming geothermal sector has hit another milestone with the signing of a memorandum of understanding between local data centre company EcoCloud and Abu Dhabi-based technology firm G42 to build a data centre that will run purely on geothermal energy.
More about this news at ESI Africa.
New $1.3 bln energy fund for transmission links across Southern Africa
CAPE TOWN, March 5 (Reuters) – The Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) and investment advisers Climate Fund Managers on Tuesday launched a new $1.3 billion target fund to build high-voltage transmission lines linking countries in the region.
Source: CNBC
The first steps in establishing West Africa as a world powerhouse
West Africa is a region of abundance, rich in both human and natural resources Its renewable energy capacity stands at a staggering 2,000 Megawatts (MW), which could meet the basic energy needs of its population. It is a fundamentally optimistic outlook that could alleviate one of the region’s greatest challenges, providing energy to the 220 million people living without access to power.
Here are two inspiring videos: one of Africa's first waste-to-energy power plant that's been in operation since 2018 and two, the ambitious dam that's now the biggest in Africa -- both in Ethiopia . . .
One article talks about Three regions to keep an eye on as they turn to renewable energy generation. Can you guess what are they? Hint: One of them is in Africa, and according to the International Energy Agency, this region is expected to record the third‑largest growth in hydropower capacity over the next decade.
These are just a few of the developments happening in the African energy sector. A long journey remains for Africa to reach its goals, but it is well on the way to a more promising, energy independent future.