Ethiopia bids to be Africa's powerhouse
Ethiopia is turning to renewable energy technology as the East African country looks to become a powerhouse for its regional partners.
Last month, Ethiopia launched one of the continent's largest wind farms in a bid to rapidly boost its generating capacity over the next three to five years.
The Ashegoda Wind Farm and the Grand Renaissance Dam, under construction on the Nile, are just two of the major projects outlined in the Ethiopian government's five-year Growth and Transformation Plan.
Both developments will see Ethiopia's transition into one of the regions biggest energy exporters as electric output surges from 2,000 megawatts (MW) to 10,000 MW. More than half of this is expected to come from the Renaissance Dam.
Namibia to house 'Africa's largest solar power rooftop project'
Africa’s largest solar power rooftop project is to be installed in Namibia, says New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) listed firm China Photovoltaic Group (CNPV) Solar Power SA.
German solar product firm Donauer has won a contract to deliver a 1.1MWp supply rooftop project for Namibian Breweries Limited (NBL), while CNPV Solar Power SA -- which is a manufacturer of solar photovoltaic products -- says it will provide Donauer with the project’s necessary equipment.
Bypina Veerraju Chaudary, who is the chief operating officer for Solar Power SA in China, tells ITWeb Africa that while there are 500 kilowatt and 700 kilowatt rooftop solar power projects in Africa, the Namibian Breweries project is the first megawatt offering of its kind on the continent.
Renewable energy is Africa's power supply solution
Africa's renewable energy potential is mostly untapped and it offers a great opportunity for the continent to address its power shortage with sustainable energy sources. This is according to Ntlai Mosiah, head of Power, Infrastructure & TMT for Corporate Banking at Standard Bank.
"While renewable energy cannot solve Africa's power shortage on its own, we believe that distributed power from renewables, such as solar PV, can make a great contribution towards solving the energy shortage that currently plagues parts of the continent," Mosiah says.
The 48 sub-Saharan countries have a combined installed power generation base of only 68 gigawatts (GW), roughly equal to the capacity of Spain whose population is less than 5% that of sub-Saharan Africa.
US leads initiative to increase energy in Africa
In five years' time, Africa might see significant improvements in energy, thanks to a US-led initiative called “Power Africa” unveiled by President Barack Obama during a recent three-nation visit to the continent. Students will be able to study after dark, clinics can keep their vaccines refrigerated and businesses can work normal hours.
The US government is leading the charge for Power Africa, helped by some American businesses and by organizations like the African Development Bank.
The initiative is part of a new US policy to focus on the continent's ability to support itself economically, politically and militarily, according to the Associated Press news agency. Observers say it veers from previous “aid-based” pledges in that its purpose is to encourage American businesses to invest. But these businesses will have to compete with China, Japan and Germany, which already have strong trade ties with Africa.
