The ongoing energy crisis has set back global progress on universal access to electricity. According to the newest International Energy Agency (IEA) World Energy Outlook data, 660 million people will still have no access to electricity in 2030, with 85% of those living in sub-Saharan Africa. The good news is that the IEA report indicates that microgrids are becoming the most cost-effective way to expand energy access in remote areas.
The IEA also predicts that by 2030, 25% of people who have access to electricity (in developing countries) will be powered by microgrids, fuelled by renewable energy sources such as solar.
For critical sectors and services such as healthcare or petrol stations on remote highways, access to resilient power sources is often a life-or-death scenario. A microgrid offers a feasible backup solution, intelligently generating and managing distributed energy resources (DERs), ensuring that during power outages, local organisations and communities can still generate and use electricity.
The level of access to electricity differs from country to country. However, in countries such as Nigeria and Myanmar, less than 60% of communities have access to electricity. For these communities, which are out of reach for the main grid due to economic or locational reasons, installing microgrids are the simplest and fastest way in providing access to power.
A microgrid can also incorporate various renewable energy sources. With companies increasingly emphasising their climate and sustainability agenda, and the global push for decarbonisation, microgrids assist in meeting these sustainability targets.
Electricity is the backbone of Africa’s new energy systems, powered increasingly by renewables. According to the IEA, Africa is home to 60% of the best solar resources globally, yet only 1% of installed solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity. That said, solar PV – already the cheapest source of power in many parts of Africa – is set to outcompete all sources continent-wide by 2030.
Universal access to affordable electricity, a goal set by 2030 in the Sustainable Africa Scenario (SAS), requires bringing connections to 90 million people a year, triple the rate of recent years. Successes in countries as Ghana, Kenya, and Rwanda prove full access is attainable by 2030. The IEA detailed analysis shows that extending national grids is the least costly and most prudent option for almost 45% of those gaining access to 2030. In rural areas, where over 80% of the electricity-deprived live, microgrids and stand-alone systems, mostly solar-based, are the most viable solutions.
Moreover, renewables (including solar, wind, hydropower, and geothermal) will account for over 80% of new power generation capacity by 2030, according to Sustainable Africa Scenario.
From an energy skills development, there is also tremendous opportunity in Africa. The energy sector, and more particularly electricity and renewable energies, offer a lot of potential, especially in areas where access to energy is difficult and growing.
Tangible interventions are required towards achieving the 2030 goal. Global specialists in energy management and automation believe that by equipping young people with skills and giving them the means to support their families, they can contribute to the growth of the local electricity and electrotechnical sectors. This, in turn, will improve quality of life and create sustainable jobs.
Quintin McCutcheon
is the global marketing director of the
Anglophone Africa Hub at Schneider Electric.
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