Can Africa break free from hydroelectric energy?
By: Kelvin Mutagwaba
Tags: Africa, Energy, Politics, Renewable Energy, Hydropower

Africa does have a tad bit of an obsession with hydroelectric power as an energy source. The use of hydropower in developing countries particularly in Africa is on a rapid rise, if anything this signals the reliance of this source by these countries.

Tanzania is currently building its controversial 2100 MW dam in a UNESCO reserved area, Democratic Republic of Congo is planning for 40,000MW dam at the Congo river while Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan are expected to embark on a multi-billion dam at the Nile river.

© iStock/James_Gabbert

If anything, African countries are forging ahead with hydroelectric policy, why is this the case and is there anyway Africa could reduce its reliance on hydroelectric power? The reason is simple, Africa as a developing continent is striving to industrialize and this entails building of the energy infrastructure to meet the energy gaps.

How can Africa reduce her reliance on hydroelectric power?

The common answer to this question would be for Africa to venture in energy mix. This means encompassing all forms of energy and reducing reliance on one source. For instance, Tanzania is blessed with abundant resources from gas, to coal and water, and to Tanzania’s defense it has heavily ventured in diversifying her energy.

However, top power generation is mainly shared between gas and hydro, other forms of energy share an inconsiderable amount. What is striking is the vast potential in the new renewable energies that remains untapped for the most part.

An example is solar. Africa has long been described as a “sun continent” but it accounts for only 9% (over 5000Megawatts) of the energy capacity per the 2018 African energy Atlas. Germany, a country that receives relatively less sunshine than the whole of Africa produces 41.3 Gigawatts with a ‘G’ of solar power and this is not even its highest source of power generation, shockingly it accounts for only 9% of its total power generation.

This is an open opportunity. Africa needs re-strategize and see the potential in renewables such as wind and solar. This is the future of energy in the world. Top financing institutions such as the World Bank and the African development Bank have also strategically started re-focusing their financing on renewable energies and are investing heavily on the area.

Heavy weight countries like the USA and China that are leading the production of fossil fuels such as oil, natural gas and coal of fossil fuels have realized the potential of renewable energies and have and started taking deliberate action to promote their use.

According to the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), China is currently the largest producer of wind and solar energy. It owns five of the six largest solar molecule manufacturing companies and the it is the largest wind turbine manufacturer in the world.

African countries need to also take needed steps in promoting renewable energies such as solar and wind in future energy consumption. For starters, they need to set up transparent and robust legal and regulatory frameworks that enable investment in renewable technologies. Risks and a multitude regulations associated with the private sector need to be minimized to encourage investment. This should of course be implemented inclusively and in tandem with political commitment.

Since renewable energy is still a novel concept to Africans, education at the informal and formal level is necessary in spreading awareness of these key energy sources. Education systems should incorporate studies on renewable energies from the lowest to the highest levels of learning.

Good thing about renewable energies is that their technology can also be adopted at the individual level, we see the presence of solar cookers and household solar power. Such kind of technologies are also important in reducing dependability of citizens from the governments on energy provision. Governments should come up with strategies to ensure these technologies are accessible and known.

Also, more investment in research is needed to have a factual backing on the actual influence of these sources of energy to these countries. A specific education and research institute is necessary and should serve as a reference for knowledge and information. Good practice is the China-EU Institute for Clean and Renewable energy that has created a pool of experts in the field serves as an information center for investors interested in investing in the field.

The most important investment should be made to the young people who hold the largest share of Africa’s population and are the drivers of economies in the future. Governments should encourage and support young people financially or by setting an environment that facilitates the growth of their innovative ideas.

With a global debate on climate change heating up, these renewable energies are referenced as remedies to climate change as they are clean energies that minimize pollution and waste. They also have cheaper running costs because the energy harnessed is usually free.

Most importantly — they represent the future of energy in the world!