The African continent is slowly awakening to the renewable energy revolution as sub-saharian nations will invest 5.9 billion Dollars (4.47 billion euros) this year alone.
As Climate Progress reported recently :
” Sub-Saharan Africa will add more renewable energy projects in 2014 than it has in the last 14 years, according to research firm Bloomberg New Energy Finance. “
Yes, you read that right. The capacity of non-hydro renewables that will be installed this year will be superior to what had been installed between 2000 and 2013. That’s some great news.
Bloomberg New Energy Finance notes that this is only the beginning as :
Geothermal, wind and both small- and utility-scale solar projects will lead the way as “renewables can represent a cost-effective alternative, particularly compared to diesel generation but also to power stations burning coal or gas,” according to the statement.
About 3.9 gigawatts of renewable energy, mostly wind and solar, is estimated to be installed in South Africa from 2014 through 2016. Over that period, Kenya is expected to add 1.4 gigawatts while Ethiopia will install 570 megawatts of primarily geothermal and wind capacity.
Now that’s some good news, especially if one remembers that the continent still has millions of people without access to electricity.
Image credits : Flickr
