Spotlight: Renewable Energy in Africa

By Ben Chandler, Senior Researcher 

Africa is the continent with the lowest rates of energy access globally, so it faces the unique challenge of needing to develop its energy infrastructure amid a global climate crisis it did little to cause. Addressing this energy deficit requires the mobilisation of the continent’s vast renewable resources, as well as natural gas, the least polluting fossil fuel.

African governments have made significant progress in developing renewable electricity in recent years, and fossil fuels account for a smaller share of the energy mix than in any other region. However, Africa’s energy deficit remains large and significant renewable potential remains untapped.

African governments have scaled up investment in renewables

The potential of renewable electricity in Africa is undoubtedly vast, and African governments have already recognised the role renewables can play in addressing the continent’s energy deficit.

African governments: public investment in electricity generation (2000-2019)

22 African countries already use renewables as their primary source of electricity

As it stands, zero-carbon electric grids remain very rare. However, 22 African countries use renewables as their primary source of electricity generation.

On average, African countries use renewables for 40.5% of their electricity generation.

This is higher than…

• the global average (34.1%)
• the EU average (39.1%)
• the UK (37.9%), Japan (18.6%) and the US (17.9%).

African countries: primary source of electricity (2019)

Some African countries are even leading the way globally in these figures.

• In Kenya, geothermal energy accounts for almost half (46.0%) of electricity generation, more than any other country in the world.
• In Namibia, almost one fifth of electricity (19.1%) is generated through solar, the fourth highest share globally.
• 21 of the 52 countries using hydropower as the primary source of electricity are African.

Africa uses the least fossil fuels in overall energy supply

Fossil fuels still account for over half of the energy supply in Africa, though this is the least of any world region. By comparison, fossil fuels account for:

• Almost the whole energy supply in the Middle East (99.2%).
• Over three-quarters of the energy supply in Asia Pacific (84.0%) and North America (81.7%).
• Roughly two- thirds of the energy supply in Europe (71.3%) and Central and South America (65.8%).

World regions: total energy supply by source (2019)

Access to energy remains key challenge

Access to energy, rather than the transition away from fossil fuels remains the key challenge for African countries:

• In 16 of the 22 countries that primarily use renewable electricity, more than half the population still lack access to electricity.
• Overall, more than 600 million in Africa still lack access to electricity and over 930 million lack access to clean cooking fuels.
• Africa accounts for 17% of world’s population but only 5.9% of world’s energy supply.

Much of Africa’s renewable potential remains untapped

In the short to medium-term, lower emission fossil fuels such as natural gas will still have a role to play in addressing Africa’s energy deficit.

However, substantial untapped renewable potential remains that can help increase electricity access. Realising such potential will require climate pledges from wealthier countries to be realised and for an increase in the meagre 5% of climate finance sub-Saharan Africa received of the total distributed to countries outside of the OECD.

World countries: average practical potential in photovoltaic solar output per installed unit (2020)