As the world converges at COP28 to address the pressing challenges of climate change, it is imperative to underscore the untapped renewable energy potential within the African continent. According to a study in 2020 for the International Finance Corporation, continental Africa possesses an onshore wind potential of almost 180,000 Terawatt hours (TWh) per annum, enough to meet the entire continent’s electricity needs 250 times over.
With a growing population and increasing energy demands, Africa now stands at a critical, urgent juncture to harness its abundant wind resources, aligning with the global commitment to transition towards clean and green energy.
Why? The current operating capacity of operating wind farms in Africa is approximately 9 GW, only 1% of the global total. Comparatively, China – a third the size of Africa – has nearly 342 GW capacity of wind power, almost 40 times that of Africa. The UK – approximately 125 times smaller in land-mass than Africa – has close to 27 GW of wind capacity, three times of that of Africa. Japan is roughly 80 times smaller than Africa, while its capacity is 4.4 GW, around half of that in Africa.
So what is causing Africa’s current underutilization of its abundant wind resources and its underperformance compared to other regions? We believe that challenges such as a constrained global financial architecture and over-elevated risk premiums are the main reason for slow progress in African countries, making it difficult to scale up wind projects. Without comprehensive solutions, the existing disparities may be exacerbated. Therefore, additional support for Africa to bridge the financing gap and mitigate Africa risk premiums are essential for the continent to actively contribute to global renewable energy agenda and climate action goals, such as the COP28’s Global Renewables and Energy Efficiency Pledge.
Where to start off this investment? Our infographic delves into the promising landscape of wind power across various African regions and countries, shedding light on the immense possibilities for sustainable energy solutions, and displaying the diverse levels of potential wind power capacity among African countries. For instance:
Strong wind sources: We found that Eastern Africa and Northern Africa are endowed with more wind power potential than other African regions. Chad, Lesotho, Djibouti, Cape Verde, and Morocco are the top five countries in terms of wind sources.
Current operational wind farms: Southern Africa and Northern Africa have greater capacity, while as of January 2023, the Central African region does not have any eligible operating wind farms.
Best Prospective wind farm capacity: Northern Africa has the largest prospective capacity, while Central Africa remains at the bottom of the ranking. Egypt, Morocco, Algeria, South Africa and Namibia are the top five countries in terms of expected improvement in wind farm capacity.
Check out the infographic Africa’s amazing wind power potential below to learn more.
To find out how Development Reimagined can support you, your organisation, or Government, please email the team at clients@developmentreimagined.com.
Special thanks go to Lingqi Deng, Yunong Wu, and Yike Fu for their work on the graphics and for collecting/analysing the underlying data and this accompanying article.
The data was collated primarily from a range of sources, including the Global Energy Monitor and World Bank data.
If you spot any gaps or have any enquiries, please send your feedback to us at media@developmentreimagined.com, and we will aim to respond ASAP.
December 2023
