The symbiosis of traditional and new energy is the key to Africa’s prosperity

African countries can make progress in securing electricity supplies, as concluded by the Regional to Global conference organised by the Global Energy Association in Port Louis, Mauritius on January 30, 2025

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay, Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ —

The conference was attended by:

• Abel Didier Tella, Director General of Association of Power Utilities of Africa
• Dmitri Bessarabov, Director of the HySA Infrastructure Competence Center in South Africa
• Ismael Adam Essackjee, Ag Manager at the Central Electricity Board of Mauritius
• Cynthia Angweya-Muhati, CEO of the Kenya Renewable Energy Association
• Mohammad Khalil Elahee, Chair of Professor at the University of Mauritius, the 2024 Global Energy Prize laureate
• Zi-Qiang Zhu, Professor at the University of Sheffield (UK)
• Swinage Chikwedze, Board Member of Sustenergy Pvt (Zimbabwe)

 

 

“The share of sub-Saharan Africans with access to electricity has increased from 26% in 2000 to 52% in 2022. This growth is due to the construction of electrical networks, as well as the commissioning of new generating capacities. In the last ten years alone, the installed capacity of renewable energy power plants in Africa has almost doubled. Angola has become a major producer of hydropower, Kenya is one of the world leaders in geothermal energy, and the Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is the largest hydropower plant in Africa while the country has significantly increased its use of biomass. Finally, Egypt will be the second country producer of nuclear power in Africa,” said Abel Didier Tella.

“This conference is a vital platform that emphasizes the contributions of developing countries in shaping the global energy landscape. It brings together diverse experiences and ideas to promote affordable and sustainable energy solutions for everyone,” said the 2022 Global Energy Prize laureate Kaushik Rajashekara. He received the award at the first Regional to Global conference held in Uruguay.

“Electrification in Africa comes at a time when the cost of wind and solar power has dropped significantly. It is also a great opportunity to use more widely electric vehicles in the cities in Africa. Moreover, the efficiency of electrical appliances, including air conditioners, washing machines, refrigerators, has increased dramatically over the past decades. In this way, the reliability of the region’s energy supply can be ensured in a fairly short period of time. All of these need a strong government support. For instance, policy for using electric vehicles and charging infrastructure,” said Zi-Qiang Zhu.

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