BUSINESS NEWS - Strong demand is set to give a huge boost to renewable energy growth in Sub-Sahara Africa over the next five years, driving cumulative capacity up more than 70%, a senior international energy official said on Wednesday, 15 November.
From Ethiopia to South Africa, millions of people are getting access to electricity for the first time as the continent turns to solar, wind and hydropower projects to boost generation capacity.
“A big chunk of this (growth) is hydro because of Ethiopia, but then you have solar … in South Africa, Nigeria and Namibia and wind in South Africa and Ethiopia as well,” said Paolo Frankl, head of the renewable division at the Paris-based International Energy Agency (IEA).
He forecast installed capacity of renewable energy in the Sub-Sahara region almost doubling from around 35 gigawatts now to above 60 GW given the right conditions.
Ethiopia has an array of hydropower projects under construction, including the $4.1 billion Grand Renaissance Dam along the Nile River that will churn out 6 000 MW upon completion.
