Renewable Energies: Unexploited Treasures
Renewable energy production could save Africa from poverty. This at least is the belief of a growing number of African states, beginning with the non-oil-producing countries. However, the main obstacle to the development of solar, wind, geothermal or biomass energy (see separate article on major hydroelectricity projects) remains at a relatively high cost although, with oil prices that could reach the US$100 a barrel mark in the future, they are becoming increasingly attractive.
Titos Mabota, Bicicleta rural, 2006. Mixed medium, 180 x 150 x 350 cm. Courtesy of C.A.A.C. - The Pigozzi Collection, Geneva.
Photo: Grant Lee Neuenburg
Today, investment in alternative energy projects is receiving a great deal of support, starting with financing by the European Investment Bank and the new risk capital fund proposed by the European Commission, which has allocated an initial budget of €100 million. Additionally, there is the ACP-EU Energy Facility with a budget of €220 million (see article on these funds in The Courier n. 1).
The world’s least electrified continent
According to the International Energy Agency (IAE) just 23% of the sub-Saharan population has access to electricity. Rural areas are the most poorly served, with just 8% of the inhabitants having mains electricity and often having to pay high prices to produce electricity from generators or solar panels. Renewable energies, especially stand-alone facilities like solar and wind power, could make up a large part of this deficit. Despite their vast potential at present they represent less than 1% of the electricity generated commercially. According to the OECD, just 7% of hydro-capacity and less than 1% of geothermal capacity is currently exploited. What is more, in countries such as Nigeria and the Congo as much as 40% of electricity is estimated to be ‘lost’ during transport, compared with the global average of just 10%. Worse still, the share of renewable energy remains low compared with world production levels (excluding major hydroelectric projects) even if it is growing at a faster rate than that of total consumption.
Unpredictable winds
Although parts of Africa lie within the equatorial belt, where the wind is often not as strong as in Europe or North America, Africa’s wind power potential is far from negligible. This is especially true of the countries furthest from the equator – South Africa and those lying along the southern shores of the Mediterranean. In Central Africa, the preference has been for projects on a small scale. And the sector is growing fast when you consider that in 2002 Africa’s wind power capacity was still very low at around 150 megawatts (or 0.5% of the global installed capacity), but this year the total installed capacity was almost 1,000 megawatts.
Currently the most important projects are in Morocco and Namibia, followed by Egypt, Eritrea, Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and South Africa. An example of this is the Zafarana Wind Park on the banks of the Red Sea in Egypt, an area known for its strong winds, which produces 160 megawatts and supplies a total of 340,000 homes with electricity.
Geothermal resources in the Rift Valley
The exploitation of geothermal resources is particularly promising in the ‘natural fault’ of the Rift Valley. However, at present strategically placed countries like Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania are not exploiting this resource, with only Kenya having a development project. For this, Kenya is receiving assistance from both the EU and Germany to construct Africa’s biggest geothermal plant that will supply 10% of the country’s electricity. And this output is set to double in the coming years.
The attraction of biofuels
Although biofuels are attracting growing criticism due to their greater impact on climate change than at first thought, for many African countries they remain a major alternative to oil. Many African countries see biofuels as providing more jobs in agriculture, the dominant sector of their economies. Indeed, the World Bank estimates that biofuels require 100 times more labour per unit of energy produced than fossil fuels. For example, in Brazil the bioethanol industry is believed to provide more than half a million direct jobs.
In addition to South Africa, Senegal was one of the first African countries to show an interest in biofuels, even nurturing an ambition of being the launch pad for biofuels in Africa. This was reaffirmed in Brasilia in May by Senegalese President Abdouaye Wade at the signing of a series of agreements with Brazil. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva took this opportunity to stress the “major progress” his country had made in biofuel production, adding, “under Senegal’s leadership, we want to extend this initiative to Africa’s other non-oil producing countries.” The members of this group are known collectively as ‘Green OPEC’.
Because of this focus on biofuels, plants previously thought to have limited uses are now seen as offering new opportunities. This is true of tabanani, or jatropha – almost 188 hectares of which were recently planted in Senegal. The eventual aim is to cover more than 5,000 hectares with this flowering shrub originating in Brazil and whose seeds yield an oil previously used only in traditional medicine and livestock feed.
Yet it is South Africa that remains the driving force in biofuels. Maize, sugarcane and other plants play a part in helping South Africa to reach a target of 10% of its petrol and diesel needs from biofuels by 2010. The figures speak for themselves. In 2005 the country produced about 110 million gallons of biofuel, making it the world’s seventh biggest producer – although this is still far behind Brazil’s 4 billion gallons and the United States’ 3.5 billion gallons. Production elsewhere in the ACP countries is on the rise, although on a different scale featuring on the list from the world’s principal biofuel producers: Mauritius (26 million gallons), Zimbabwe (6 million) and Kenya and Swaziland with 3 million gallons each. Other countries are also committed to embarking on biofuel production, such as Benin, Ethiopia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi, Mozambique, Nigeria and Senegal.
Titos Mabota, Bicicleta rural, 2006. Mixed medium, 180 x 150 x 350 cm. Courtesy of C.A.A.C. - The Pigozzi Collection, Geneva.Photo: Grant Lee Neuenburg
