Renewable Energy Development in Africa: Issues, Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

The solar radiation climatology of Africa is such that more than half of the continent has solar radiation intensities of more than 7000 kWh/m²/day. The hydropower resource of the continent is huge especially in the central and eastern parts of the continent with the Grand Inga of Democratic Republic of Congo alone of having a potential of about 50,000 MW. There is a significant geothermal potential along the East African Rift Valley spanning Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Tanzania. High-wind potentials exist along the coastal and mountainous parts of the continent. Biomass in the form of fuelwood is the dominant fuel in the household sector in the whole continent and most especially in the tropical zones. Biodiesel from Jatropha is gaining more recognition in many African nations.

The optimal utilization of the renewable energy resources of Africa will call for a continent-wide increase in energy access in order to uplift the continent’s socioeconomy. This will in turn call for the practical elimination of the challenges bedevilling the sector. This can be done through the adoption of strong political will by African national governments to drive renewable energy development. There is also the need for sound policies and plans as well as institutional and legal frameworks in addition to the enthronement of pragmatic capacity building in renewable energy technologies.