Page 6 - AfrElec Annual Review 2021

AfrElec FEBRUARY AfrElec

Solar potential in Africa

Africa offers considerable solar potential if governments can put in place

the right policies and grid resilience is improved, writes Richard Lockhart

AFRICA ONLY two countries in Africa have breached 2030.
the 1-GW solar barrier, South Africa and Egypt, Zambia, DRC and Angola have so far fol-
WHAT: although another nine countries led by Algeria lowed the opposite route, with governments
Algeria and Morocco are and Morocco have the potential to reach this awarding contracts to private developers to build
leading the charge to join target. significant capacities without going through a
South Africa and Egypt The African Solar Industry Association said tender. Zambia is aiming for 600 MW of solar
with 1 GW of solar in a recent report that South Africa and Egypt by 2030.
had developed both utility-scale solar projects This approach has the benefit of speed but
WHY: and smaller decentralised capacity to date. also involves significant project development
Utility-scale Algeria has ambitious plans to build 4 GW of and financing challenges.
decentralised capacity capacity, with an initial 1 GW set to be developed Close to 400 MW is already under construc-
is needed both to offer in 2021. tion in Angola, while DRC and Zambia have
universal access to Neighbouring Morocco, which has put in already signed contracts worth 1 GW and 600
power and more reliable place a transparent tender and development MW respectively.
supplies for industry process in recent years, has plans to add almost Namibia and Botswana have plans to develop
2 GW of new projects in the coming years. It is 5 GW of solar PV and CSP, which will target both
WHAT NEXT: building on its success at the Noor project, and domestic and export markets across southern
Developments in storage has recently entered a crucial stage of the Noor Africa.
and hydrogen are needed PV II – Phase 1,400-MW tender.
to exploits solar’s Global trends
potential fully More potential The report said that falling costs globally for stor-
The report identifies Zimbabwe, Zambia, DR age and hydrogen technology offer considerable
Congo, Angola, Namibia, Ethiopia and Bot- potential for African to developer solar.
swana as all potentially being able of reaching 1 Many grids in Africa are considered small
GW of installed solar. and outdated and do not have the resilience to
In Zimbabwe, development is driven by the absorb solar capacity. But by coupling solar and
private sector, the report said, which has been storage technologies, this technical limitation
struggling for years with erratic power supply could be bypassed and more solar capacity could
and grid shutdowns. The country aims to have be connected to the grid.
installed 1,575 MW of solar power by 2030.
Ethiopia and Botswana, on the other hand, Hydrogen
have followed a more traditional approach of Secondly, hydrogen offers further potential, with
international tenders. This strategy has the ben- Africa being able to use its high radiation levels
efit of achieving low tariffs, albeit only after a to produce solar electricity to power the produc-
relatively lengthy tendering process, the report tion of green hydrogen.
warned. Botswana aims to have 800 MW by All global energy leaders, and by extension

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