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Africa's roadmap to a larger, more environmentally friendly power system: Maguire

Africa could be on its way to becoming a leader in the power sector.

African power companies have plans to expand and clean up the energy production base on the continent. This could fuel Africa's economic growth in the next decade and create jobs for its estimated 1.5 billion population.

The key to success will be the execution.

By the time that projects are complete or near completion, power companies on the continent are looking to increase clean-power production, reduce reliance upon fossil fuels, and almost double their total output.

Global Energy Monitor (GEM) reports that the projected 278% increase in Africa's clean energy capacity between now and completion of all planned projects dwarfs the 109% expected for similar projects globally. To realize these plans, major obstacles will need to be overcome, such as a lack in energy policy coordination between nations, outdated energy infrastructure, and limited experience with regional power pools.

CLEAN LEADERS

Around 32,700 MW of clean power capacity is currently under construction in Africa. Around 60,000 MW are already operational.

African power companies are currently building, on average, 250 megawatts of geothermal capacity. They also have nearly 5,000 megawatts of wind projects. There are also 8,100 megawatts of solar parks.

Another 134,000 MW clean capacity is currently in the pre-construction stage, which refers projects that are permitted but have not yet broken ground.

Locations of current and planned projects are varied, but in general Northern Africa has more planned solar and wind power projects than Sub-Saharan Africa.

In terms of size, a few nations stand out.

Egypt is currently building 2,400 MW hydro, 1,400MW solar, 2,500MW wind, and 1200MW nuclear.

Kenya and Ethiopia both take advantage of their relatively easy access geothermal resources and are building the majority of geothermal power.

Around 15,000 MW is planned for Ethiopia, Egypt Angola, Nigeria, and Tanzania. A 4,800 MW Nigerian nuclear plant is also in the pre-construction stage.

Around 22,000 MW fossil-fuel-fired capacity is under construction on the continent. An additional 25,000MW are in pre-construction. The additional capacity will add to Africa's current fossil fuel powered operating capacity, which is around 177,000MW or approximately 74% of the continent's total power generation capacity.

CHALLENGES

The current African power development roadmap is good news for supporters of clean energy, as it includes 50% more capacity being built with clean sources than fossil fuels and five times the capacity that was planned in the preconstruction phase.

To bring all these plans to life, it will take a sustained financial, government and societal commitment for the development of clean-power as well as an army of project managers who are capable of executing projects effectively.

Some power firms may have difficulty securing enough qualified workers for certain projects. It may be difficult to source certain materials and parts that are in high demand, but remain subjected to manufacturing backlogs and supply-chain delays.

The power providers must also ensure that energy generated by their new assets is directed to consumers willing to pay for it.

It will be necessary to build extensive, cross-border transmission systems that are mostly not present yet.

Transmission lines are already being built in several countries that are rapidly developing, such as Tanzania, Togo and Kenya. Last year, a 1,700-kilometre transmission line connecting Senegal with the Gambia and Guinea Bissau, as well as Guinea, was completed. A 500-km Kenya Tanzania Interconnector will be operational later this year.

It's a start, but more long-distance cables will be required if African nations want to maximize the value of their clean-power capacities and if they want to attract paying customers who can help them cover construction costs.

The Right Place, the Right Time

African power companies may be in a good position to meet these challenges, even though it will not be an easy task.

First, energy companies around the world are trying to increase their market share at the same time that several African countries are making major upgrades to their energy systems.

African firms could also bypass some traditional energy development avenues through the adoption of new technologies. These can be deployed even in areas where there are no existing grids, and they can be customized to meet the evolving needs of the continent.

Firms can, for example, use real-time energy management systems today to ensure that maximum volumes of clean power are delivered around the clock. Fossil fuel plants will only be used as a backup source when clean-generation volume falls short of system requirements.

Power suppliers on the continent should have access to battery systems that store excess clean power when output is high and discharge it to grids at peak demand periods to optimize grids, and ensure power flows are as clean as they can be.

This is a moment of opportunity for the entire continent. The well-managed, coordinated construction of the power supply pipeline would provide abundant and affordable energy to the region that it urgently needs to stimulate industrial growth. These are the opinions of the columnist, who is also an author.

(source: Reuters)