The post Off the beaten track: renewable energy in Africa appeared first on Environment News South Africa.

When one thinks about the catastrophe of climate change, the destruction of the polar ice caps, the rising sea levels, the blinding smog blanketed over cities, your mind might instantly think of somewhere like America, China, India, or Europe. These are highly developed, industrialised economies who play a large role in global warming.

Similarly, when you think of renewable energy, you might think of offshore wind farms off the coast of Scotland, of an array of solar panels in the Nevada desert, of hydroelectric dams in China and the US. Your first thought, for either of these, probably isn’t the continent of Africa. The second most populous continent plays a part in these definitive human struggles as well.

The sad truth is, however, that the cataclysmic impacts of climate change will likely be felt most strongly by people across Africa, particularly in already struggling countries, with rising sea levels likely to devastate coastal villages and drought potentially worsening already dire situations. As such, it is appropriate to address climate issues, and the fight to save our planet, from a different perspective.

By going off the beaten tack, to explore the development and use of renewable energy on the continent of Africa, we’ll have a look at what developing countries are doing to limit the destruction of global warming, at what measures they have introduced to reduce their own carbon footprint, and what impact that is having. It’s time to look at the climate from a new, often ignored, angle.

Developing Energy Markets

Two thirds of Africa’s population currently have no access to electricity. That is about 600 million people with no source of power whatsoever. As economies across the continuent develop increasingly urbanised, industrial, and advanced economies then access to better, and more, energy will be absolutely vital to prosperity.

As African nations begin to electrify and become more reliant on power for the everyday workings of business, and the life of their citizens, then they will begin to contribute increasingly to the world’s energy consumption, and the creation of byproducts. However, that’s only if they too decide to make use of fossil and non-renewable fuels.

Africa is a growing energy market, and as such the continent’s path is not set in stone. The provision of cheap, sustainable, and accessible renewable energy now will ensure the development of the continent is ecologically conscious – after all, Africa is the area of the world that benefits most from environmentally friendly policies.

The continent has the natural resources to produce 10 terawatts of solar energy, 1,300 gigawatts of wind power, and 1 gigawatts of geothermal electricity. That is immense. It is therefore vital that as Africa begins to modernise and develop that they make use of the wealth of potential presented by renewable energy. There is an opportunity for the continent to bypass the crude methods of the pass, and go straight to the green, and better, sources of energy of today and tomorrow.

Wind Power

Wind power is booming globally, with worldwide investment in offshore wind alone growing by 40% in 2016. It is forming the central plank of the green energy revolution, and will be key in a world without fossil fuels. Wind is extremely effective and efficient and is the most versatile, with turbines becoming easier and cheaper to construct, and being suitable to many areas of the world.

Wind is also forming a key part of the development of electricity across Africa – and that is extremely good news, both for people across the continent, who will benefit from more energy, and for ecologists.

Between them, Africa’s top five wind energy markets (South Africa, Morocco, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Kenya) currently produce 3,124 MW of wind power. These countries are currently constructing wind power facilities that will produce a further 1,200MW of wind power. South Africa alone is aiming to have the capacity to generate over 8,000MW of wind energy by 2030. It is, therefore, a booming industry.

The post Off the beaten track: renewable energy in Africa appeared first on Environment News South Africa.