Africa is the second most populated continent in the world, just behind Asia. Its 53 countries are home to nearly 900 million people. Because of the developing nature of the majority of African countries, most are only providing electricity directly to 20% or less of their populations. The vast natural resources in the continent and the vast needs of the people in the developing nations have made renewable energy applications a popular solution to difficult problems.
One of the most promising sources of development of renewable energy in Africa is solar energy. Most of Africa get 325 days of sunlight a year[1], and the vast deserts in Northern Africa could become one of the world’s largest solar farms. According to European commission's Institute for Energy, covering just 0.3% of the Sahara would supply energy for all of Europe for a year.[2] In addition to huge solar farms, smaller solar arrays could be used to help power a home or village. The benefits of small-scale solar power would include not only electricity in remote areas, but water pumps and purification systems to provide access to clean water, currently one of the most critical needs in Africa.
Another promising area of development is geothermal power. Several countries in East Africa could utilize the volcanic energy in the Great Rift Valley, which stretches from Syria to Mozambique. As the United Nations Environment Programme predicts that 14,000 megawatts of power could come from the rift[3], the Great Rift Valley holds the potential of vastly multiplying the amount of energy available to Africans.
Unfortunately, many development projects for geothermal energy have stalled due to lack of funding and political support. As geothermal energy would not create many jobs, it is a politically neutral subject. New funding of $18 million from the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) will underwrite the cost of drilling in Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania as early as 2009.[4]
Research by Margaret Rich
