Africa needs renewable energy –Report
— 28th June 2016
Stories by Olabisi Olaleye
A new report commissioned by IHS Towers, the largest mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, has disclosed that Africa must deliver a renewable power revolution as happened with telecommunications, to reach its ambitious targets.
According to the report themed, “Power Up, Delivering Renewable Energy in Africa,” written by the Economist Intelligence Unit highlights examples of successful renewable energy projects across the continent and identifies barriers and promoters of success within the sector.
Commenting, IHS Towers co-founder and Interim IHS Nigeria CEO, Mohamad Darwish, said: “This report reaffirms that sub-Saharan Africa has the raw ingredients for a vibrant renewable energy market: resource abundance, falling costs of wind turbines and solar panels, smart innovations in end-user equipment and political commitment – by governments and international donors alike.”
Meanwhile, the report reiterated that the key findings include renewables, which must play a greater role in Africa’s energy mix. The case for building renewable energy infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa is stronger than ever and positive experiences in lead markets such as South Africa and Kenya highlight successful strategies and best practices. However, Africa requires up to $90 billion of investment annually to meet its current energy shortfall. The African renewables sector resembles the mobile phone sector of a decade ago. It has the capacity to leapfrog heavy infrastructure with a larger-than-assumed market, the emergence of smart business models and improved technology. However, long-term renewable procurement programmes are needed to build the greenfield infrastructure necessary. There has been huge growth in technology sales and financing innovation. The market for pico-solar units has grown from almost zero in 2009 to 4.5 million in 2014 and, in January 2016, Africa saw its first solar bonds, a securitisation financial product for small scale off-grid solar projects. Ambitious energy targets are not enough. Investors are carefully assessing the technical capacity of host governments, the country’s infrastructure track record and the connection between renewable targets and economic needs.
The report finds that a 680 per cent increase in net renewables capacity deployment is needed if Africa is to achieve the African Renewable Energy Initiative’s ambitious goal of 300 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 agreed by the African Union (AU) and member governments at the recent Paris climate talks. Innovative tools and projects are helping to bring green energy to people beyond the traditional grid.
However, there is no substitute for larger infrastructure programmes such as wind and solar farms. The report, which includes over 28 expert interviews, fieldwork and reportage from Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia, suggests four measures to attract increased investment in renewables projects and ensure their success – governments should target subsidies that protect the poor while not deterring investors with artificially low tariffs; more transparent and harmonised regulations are required to support private sector decision-making; improved border customs efficiency will help to reduce costs and improve construction and maintenance times by making it easier to move technology and equipment in and out of landlocked countries; and attention should be focused on government-led comprehensive renewable procurement programmes, rather than relying on one-off investments.
According to the report themed, “Power Up, Delivering Renewable Energy in Africa,” written by the Economist Intelligence Unit highlights examples of successful renewable energy projects across the continent and identifies barriers and promoters of success within the sector.
Commenting, IHS Towers co-founder and Interim IHS Nigeria CEO, Mohamad Darwish, said: “This report reaffirms that sub-Saharan Africa has the raw ingredients for a vibrant renewable energy market: resource abundance, falling costs of wind turbines and solar panels, smart innovations in end-user equipment and political commitment – by governments and international donors alike.”
Meanwhile, the report reiterated that the key findings include renewables, which must play a greater role in Africa’s energy mix. The case for building renewable energy infrastructure in sub-Saharan Africa is stronger than ever and positive experiences in lead markets such as South Africa and Kenya highlight successful strategies and best practices. However, Africa requires up to $90 billion of investment annually to meet its current energy shortfall. The African renewables sector resembles the mobile phone sector of a decade ago. It has the capacity to leapfrog heavy infrastructure with a larger-than-assumed market, the emergence of smart business models and improved technology. However, long-term renewable procurement programmes are needed to build the greenfield infrastructure necessary. There has been huge growth in technology sales and financing innovation. The market for pico-solar units has grown from almost zero in 2009 to 4.5 million in 2014 and, in January 2016, Africa saw its first solar bonds, a securitisation financial product for small scale off-grid solar projects. Ambitious energy targets are not enough. Investors are carefully assessing the technical capacity of host governments, the country’s infrastructure track record and the connection between renewable targets and economic needs.
The report finds that a 680 per cent increase in net renewables capacity deployment is needed if Africa is to achieve the African Renewable Energy Initiative’s ambitious goal of 300 GW of renewable capacity by 2030 agreed by the African Union (AU) and member governments at the recent Paris climate talks. Innovative tools and projects are helping to bring green energy to people beyond the traditional grid.
However, there is no substitute for larger infrastructure programmes such as wind and solar farms. The report, which includes over 28 expert interviews, fieldwork and reportage from Nigeria, Uganda and Zambia, suggests four measures to attract increased investment in renewables projects and ensure their success – governments should target subsidies that protect the poor while not deterring investors with artificially low tariffs; more transparent and harmonised regulations are required to support private sector decision-making; improved border customs efficiency will help to reduce costs and improve construction and maintenance times by making it easier to move technology and equipment in and out of landlocked countries; and attention should be focused on government-led comprehensive renewable procurement programmes, rather than relying on one-off investments.
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