AFRICA WARMS UP TO GREEN HYDROGEN AS A CRITICAL DRIVER OF CLEAN ENERGY TRANSITION
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oday, 600 million people in Africa do not have access to electricity and 900 million lack access to clean cooking facilities, according to a report from the International Energy Agency (IEA). The situation is expected to worsen further as Africa’s overall population exceeds the 2 billion in 2040. Based on current policies and plans, IEA projects that Africa will need to produce 60% more energy than it does today to adequately meet the need of the future generations. As the continent prepares itself for one of largest process of urbanisation the world has ever seen, clean energy transition is an opportunity for many African countries to providing affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all its citizens. WWW.CEOBUSINESSAFRICA.COM
When it comes to clean energy sources, Africa’s energy potential is second to none. According to statistics provided by the African Development Bank in 2017, Africa’s untapped renewable energy potential is estimated at 350 GW for hydroelectric energy, 110 GW for wind energy, 15 GW for geothermal energy and 1,000 GW for solar. Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen using renewable electricity, is emerging as one of the leading options for storing energy from renewables. West Africa alone has generating potential of up to 165,000 terawatt-hours (Twh) of green hydrogen per year, according to estimates from the German federal research ministry. This is an immense potential given that current estimates show that primary energy demand in sub-Saharan Africa would reach nearly 14,000TWh by 2050 and the global consumption would rise to 300,000TWh. African countries have started warming up JUNE 2022
By Alphonce Okoth
CEO BUSINESS AFRICA
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