is playing a key role in Africa’s energy supply but its transformational potential remains untapped, a new report on the status of wind energy on the continent has found.Africa Wind Power initiative, takes stock of wind energy’s footprint, the role it plays now and its “bright future prospects” in Africa.
“For example, 700MW of planned wind capacity was identified in Angola across 13 projects, illustrating the untapped technical potential found even in Central Africa,” the report stated. “More capacity additions are planned for the established wind markets in Southern, Eastern and Northern Africa.” “South Africa, with a generation mix that is heavily reliant on coal, has also been pursuing renewable energy now having concluded its 6th round of renewable energy auctions. As of 2022 the country’s installed capacity of 54GW comprised 3.4GW wind, 2.3GW solar PV, 0.5GW concentrated solar power, 0.6GW hydro, 39.8GW coal and 3.4GW diesel.”
With the right regulatory environment and grid conditions, “wind can play a significant role in electricity supply in the continent”, the report found, noting that the identified installed and projects under construction account for an estimated $15 billion in investments and 24.4 million tonnes of CO“Localisation has also begun to take root in the wind industry with local funds being invested in projects. This trend is apparent in South Africa and increasingly in Morocco.
“Without the long-term supportive policy frameworks the industry needs to build at scale, the significant project pipeline highlighted in the report is at risk. South Africa and the continent as a whole cannot afford to miss this opportunity to future-proof their economies, and deliver the socioeconomic benefits that wind energy can deliver.