According to a collaborative study conducted by the Universities of Tübingen, Osnabrück, Rwanda, and the Senckenberg Society for Nature Research, 80% of Africa's energy needs could be met by renewable sources by 2040 if all currently planned power plants were constructed and their capacity was fully utilized.
The journal Nature Reviews Earth & Environment has published the study.
There is enough sun, wind, and water on the continent. Many African countries could skip the age of fossil fuels. But of course, a few things would have to be done to achieve that.
Rebecca Peters, Lead Author and Doctoral scientist, Geosciences Department, University of Tübingen.
Under the guidance of Professor Christiane Zarfl and collaborators in Germany and Rwanda, Peters assembled all accessible information on African renewable energy power plants into an extensive database; following this, she assessed pertinent scientific research on the topic.
Africa is seeing a significant increase in the use of renewable energy sources, thanks to precipitously declining production costs for wind and solar power. Nonetheless, in the upcoming decades, it is anticipated that the continent's energy needs will rise significantly.
Sub-Saharan Africa is seeing a higher population increase rate than other regions, with 2.6% of the population now lacking access to electricity. One advantage of renewable energy sources, as noted by the authors, is the ability to run solar and wind power plants decentralized and in local networks without being connected to overhead power lines.
This analysis indicates a large-scale grid extension into rural areas would be unnecessary and costly. Additionally, the efficient functioning of currently operating power plants, reduced energy losses during the transmission of electricity, and an appropriate mix of energy sources to offset variations in solar and wind energy production all present opportunities for increased energy production in Africa.
We are, however, skeptical about the unchecked expansion of hydroelectricity, although Africa is the continent with the world's least exploited reserves of this form of energy, and hydropower currently accounts for 63 percent of renewable energy production, a great expansion of dams and lakes would irreversibly change the currently free-flowing rivers and would also force many residents to relocate.
Dr. Klement Tockner, Professor and Director General, Senckenberg Nature Research Society
Tockner is also an aquatic ecologist and co-author of the study. To ensure that all Africans sustainably have access to renewable electricity, nations that rely heavily on gas, like Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya or coal, must give up on building new gas and coal-fired power plants in the future and switch to clean energy production.
Structural change is only possible by doubling current investments by 2030 and investing an additional 30 billion dollars a year to ensure access to electricity for all. Investments from abroad would be needed; since the noughties, China has played an increasingly important role alongside the USA and European countries.
Dr. Jürgen Berlekamp, Institute of Environmental Systems Research, University of Osnabrück.
Peters, R., et.al., (2024). Sustainable pathways towards universal renewable electricity access in Africa. Nature Reviews Earth & Environment. doi.org/10.1038/s43017-023-00501-1
Kulingana na utafiti uliofanywa na Chuo Kikuu cha Tübingen, Chuo Kikuu cha Osnabrück, Chuo Kikuu cha Rwanda, na Chuo Kikuu cha Senckenberg cha Utafiti wa Asili, 80% ya mahitaji ya nishati ya Afrika yanaweza kukamilika na vyanzo vya nishati mbadala ifikapo mwaka 2040 ikiwa mitambo yote ya umeme iliyopangwa sasa itajengwa na uwezo wao utatumiwa kikamilifu. Jarida la Nature Reviews Earth & Environment limechapisha utafiti huo. Kuna jua, upepo, na maji ya kutosha katika bara hilo. Nchi nyingi za Afrika zinaweza kuruka enzi ya mafuta ya makaa ya mawe. Lakini bila shaka, mambo machache yangehitaji kufanywa ili kufikia hilo. Rebecca Peters, Mwandishi Mkuu na mwanasayansi wa udaktari, Idara ya Sayansi ya Dunia, Chuo Kikuu cha Tübingen. Chini ya uongozi wa Profesa Christiane Zarfell na washirika wake nchini Ujerumani na Rwanda, Peters alikusanya habari zote zinazopatikana juu ya mitambo ya nishati mbadala ya Afrika katika hifadhidata kubwa; kufuatia hili, alishughulikia utafiti wa kisayansi unaofaa juu ya mada hiyo. Afrika inaona ongezeko kubwa katika matumizi ya vyanzo vya nishati mbadala, shukrani kwa kupungua kwa gharama za uzalishaji kwa nguvu za upepo na jua. Hata hivyo, katika miongo ijayo, inatarajiwa kwamba mahitaji ya nishati ya bara hilo yataongezeka sana. Afrika Kusini mwa Jangwa la Sahara inaonyesha ongezeko la idadi ya watu kwa kasi kuliko maeneo mengine, na asilimia 2.6% ya watu hawana umeme. Faida moja ya vyanzo vya nishati mbadala, kama ilivyoelezwa na waandishi, ni uwezo wa kuendesha mitambo ya nishati ya jua na upepo decentralized na katika mitandao ya ndani bila kuunganishwa na mistari ya umeme. Uchambuzi huu unaonyesha upanuzi wa mtandao wa kiwango kikubwa katika maeneo ya vijijini itakuwa si muhimu na gharama kubwa. Kwa kuongezea, utendaji mzuri wa mitambo ya umeme inayotumika sasa, kupunguzwa kwa hasara za nishati wakati wa usafirishaji wa umeme, na mchanganyiko sahihi wa vyanzo vya nishati ili kusawazisha tofauti katika uzalishaji wa nishati ya jua na upepo, yote yana fursa za kuongeza uzalishaji wa nishati barani Afrika. "Hata hivyo, tuna shaka juu ya upanuzi usio na kikomo wa umeme wa maji, ingawa Afrika ni bara lenye akiba ya ulimwengu isiyo na matumizi ya aina hii ya nishati, na umeme wa maji kwa sasa unashughulikia asilimia 63 ya uzalishaji wa nishati mbadala, upanuzi mkubwa wa mabwawa na maziwa ungebadilisha kabisa mito ya sasa ya bure na pia kulazimisha wakazi wengi kuhamia mahali pengine. """ Klement Tockner, Profesa na Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Senckenberg Nature Research Society, ni mtaalamu wa mazingira ya majini na mwandishi mwenza wa utafiti huo. Ili kuhakikisha kuwa Waafrika wote wana uwezo wa kupata umeme unaobadilika, mataifa yanayotumia gesi kama vile Algeria, Tunisia na Libya lazima yaondoke kujenga mitambo mpya ya gesi na makaa ya mawe na kubadilisha uzalishaji wa nishati safi. Mabadiliko ya muundo yanawezekana tu kwa kuongeza mara mbili uwekezaji wa sasa hadi 2030 na kuwekeza dola bilioni 30 za ziada kwa mwaka kuhakikisha upatikanaji wa umeme kwa wote. Uwekezaji kutoka nje ya nchi unahitajika; tangu miaka ya 2000, China imekuwa na jukumu muhimu zaidi pamoja na Marekani na nchi za Ulaya. Jürgen Berlekamp, Mkurugenzi wa Taasisi ya Utafiti wa Mifumo ya Mazingira, Chuo Kikuu cha Osnabrück Peters, R., et al., (2024). Njia endelevu kuelekea upatikanaji wa umeme wa mbadala wa ulimwengu katika Afrika. Nature Reviews Dunia na Mazingira. (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (Dai) (ai) (ai) (ai) (ai) (ai) (ai) (ai