PERSPECTIVES
AFRICA
Africa has vast renewables resources, such as the highest number of sunlight hours of any continent per year, for example. Solar photovoltaic and micro-hydro are key players in the long-term development of Africa’s energy resources and renewable energy is set to grow to account for more than 20 percent of the continent’s energy mix over the next five years. Examples of country-specific progress include: South Africa, which aims to commission 17.6 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030; Morocco, which is home to the largest windfarm on the continent, generating approximately 225 GWh / year; and Rwanda, which is constructing the largest grid-linked solar photovoltaic energy installation in Africa. According to Future Energy Africa, electricity demand in Africa will triple by 2030, offering huge potential for renewable energy deployment. The power sector requires investments of US$70 billion per year on average between now and 2030 – US$45 billion per year for generation capacity and US$25 billion for transmission and distribution. Renewables could account for over 60 percent of the total investments in generation capacity, or up to US$32 billion per year.
ASIA
Globally, Asia seems to be where it’s happening in terms of renewables (in addition to the aforementioned progress, of course). For the continent as a whole, renewable energy capacity has nearly doubled over the past five years, reaching about 918 GW in 2018. China and India are key sites of growth. According to the Nikkei Asian Review, China currently has 36 times more solar capacity than it did five years ago and the country produces 130 GW of solar power, exceeding the government’s target for 2020. Hydropower capacity has risen 36 percent since 2012. In India, solar energy capacity has almost doubled since 2016, reaching 19 GW, and Japan’s Softbank Group aims to build renewable energy plants in the country with a total capacity of 20 GW. South Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Mongolia and other Central Asian countries are also following the lead of China and India in combating pollution and increasing renewables in their energy mixes.
36x more solar capacity in China than five years ago
20% renewables
5-year target in Africa 10GW solar/wind power in Australia by 2019 OCEANIA
According to new research from Green Energy Markets, current trends show that by 2020, renewables will account for over 30 percent of Oceania’s energy demands. This figure will reach 40 percent by 2030. Australia, in particular, will install more than 10 GW of solar and wind power by 2019. If the current rate of renewable energy installation continues, Australia will eclipse the Large-scale Renewable Energy Target (LRET), which is an Australian financial incentive, by reaching 29 percent renewable electricity in 2020, and 50 percent in 2025. It may even surpass the original 41 terawatt-hour (TWh) target, downgraded by the government to the current 33 TWh target. The Pacific Island nations, which have been traditionally dependent on costly fuel imports, have witnessed an increasing shift over the past decade to renewables, especially photovoltaic and hydroelectricity.
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PHOTO: Roel Slootweg/
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PHOTO: Adwo/
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PHOTO: Jenson/
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