Ugo Aliogo
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has projected that renewable energy will contribute 22 per cent of Africa’s total energy consumption by 2030.
It noted that about 580 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lacked access to electricity in 2019.
The agency which disclosed this during a recent virtual meeting, also stated that Africa faces a massive energy challenge, while noting that the continent is richly endowed with renewable energy sources.
Also speaking, the Director of Huawei Southern Africa Digital Power Business, Huang Su, stated that there was urgent need to accelerate the growth of renewable energy across the region to ensure sufficient, affordable, reliable energy supply for individuals, businesses, and communities.
He said that there is still a massive gap to be bridged, adding that the traditional energy infrastructure operation mode cannot meet the new challenges brought by the latest development in the digital world.
He added that digital technology could be of great help to ensure we provide sufficient electricity to every African household and business.
According to him, “The cost of PV power generation has fallen sharply over the past decade. In most countries, traditional energy grids cost a lot more than PV electricity.
“This offers Africa an opportunity to harness its abundant potential of increasingly cost-competitive renewable energy to meet the growing demand for electricity and pursue a climate-friendly, needs-oriented power strategy.
“Renewable energy is much cheaper than fossil-fuel-based options, with a kilowatt-hour of solar power costing less than a Rand in South Africa. It is clear then, that solar power should and likely will play a large role in the world’s future power mix. In order to achieve this, Huawei is committed to introducing digital power solutions driven by digital technologies.”
Huang Su expressed the company’s readiness to provide full support for building a green Africa and bridging the energy gap.
He added: “Huawei’s smart PV solution has been deployed in more than 60 countries and regions and has generated more than 300 billion kWH of green electricity, powering millions of residents and hundreds of industries globally.”
