Modernisation |
Modernising Africa’s ageing hydropower fleet
The Africa Hydropower Modernisation Programme will enable and optimise the available hydropower capacity of existing plants and increase power systems
flexibility, which is a requirement for the integration of more variable input from wind and solar resources. This in turn will accelerate the transition towards clean, resilient and low-carbon energy systems across the African continent
Above: Sustainable Hydropower Roundtable, 6 February 2020 in Abidjan
THE AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT BANK and the International Hydropower Association (IHA) co-hosted a week-long event on sustainable hydropower back in February 2020 attended by representatives of governments, the private sector, investors, financiers and civil society. The event drew attention to the fact that over half of Africa’s installed hydropower capacity is more than 30 years old and thus overdue for rehabilitation. The advanced lifecycle stage of Africa’s hydropower fleet was identified as an opportunity for lifetime extension, complemented by the preparation of these power stations to play an increased role in the integration of variable renewable energy (VRE) such as wind and solar photovoltaic. Africa’s hydropower potential cannot be understated. An estimated 340GW is deemed technically feasible, of which only 11% is currently exploited, the lowest share of any continent. To increase available hydropower capacity in megawatt terms, will require building new plants (greenfield projects) or increasing the capacity of existing plants (brownfield projects). Brownfield projects have a number of advantages including: limited environmental impact, low cost and short lead and construction times. Additionally, hydropower, as a flexible, dispatchable and durable resource, is a key component of advancing Africa’s ongoing energy transition, both as an alternative to fossil fuel-based generation but also as an enabler of VRE technologies.
18 | November 2021 |
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Setting the advantages of hydropower and
brownfield projects against Africa’s ageing and run- down hydropower fleet, the African Development Bank has set up the Africa Hydropower Modernisation Program (AHMP) with $1million in funding from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), a multi- donor trust fund, which the African Development Bank manages. The programme was approved on 14 September 2021 and the continental mapping is scheduled to commence before the end of the year.
Programme scope AHMP will promote the modernisation of hydropower
facilities in numerous ways. These include supporting increased digitalisation to improve equipment monitoring and maintenance; the introduction of technologies that improve operational flexibility, including three-machine set-up or the use of variable speed units to allow integration of additional VREs. Furthermore, AHMP will support efforts to ensure the facilities meet the highest environmental, social and climate sustainability standards. AHMP is informed by consultations with key players in the regional hydropower sector, and inspired by work developed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), which have successfully initiated modernisation of hydropower plants in their respective regions. Based on these consultations, AHMP has been
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