Africa's full electrification requires renewable energy

    A few days ago, industry analysis agency Wood Mackenzie released a report saying that if sub-Saharan Africa wants to achieve 100% Solar Panel Complete System electricity access by 2030, it is necessary to explore power supply models other than fossil energy and vigorously develop renewable energy power generation. Achieving access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa while promoting the global energy transition. Achieving this goal is expected to require more than $350 billion in investment in the region.

    According to the African Development Bank, at present, the electricity access rate in Africa is only about 40%, and more than 640 million Africans live in areas without electricity. In particular, sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest electricity access rate in the world, and the per capita energy consumption is only 180 kWh/year, which is far lower than the per capita energy consumption level of thousands or even tens of thousands of kWh/year in European and American countries.

    Wood Mackenzie pointed out that achieving 100% electricity in Africa is one of the major challenges facing the energy industry in the future. It is understood that the power grid in sub-Saharan Africa is weak and lacks sufficient transmission and distribution facilities. At the same time, the electricity supply in the region is mainly based on thermal power.

    Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced multiple power outages in recent years. In May 2020, Kenya and Uganda experienced nationwide power outages. Kenya Electricity and Lighting said on Twitter that the outage was caused by a system failure in the company's transmission network. Nigeria’s national power grid is also frequently paralyzed. The Nigerian Power Transmission Company stated that although the country’s electricity connection rate is increasing, even if it is connected to electricity, people cannot get a stable and sustainable power supply because of the fragile power grid.

    In the opinion of Wood Mackenzie analyst Benjamin Attia, the construction of thermal power plants requires a large investment and a long cycle, and at the same time requires the construction of supporting infrastructure. And in the context of falling renewable energy costs, if sub-Saharan Africa can adopt renewable energy on a large scale, it will promote and promote innovation in the power industry.