Kenya, South Africa, Morocco, Tanzania, Egypt and Ethiopia, have taken the lead on large-scale clean energy adoption, shifting away from fossil fuel dependency and embracing alternative renewable energy pathways. Nevertheless, the continent has attracted only $60 billion in investment in this sector over the past 20 years, which amounts to only 2 per cent of the $2.8 trillion invested in renewables worldwide during this period.
According to the UN report, the objective of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, in line with the 2016 Paris climate accord, will involve a greater transformation in global energy systems. This refers to renewable energy initiatives, like the Lake Turkana Wind Power project that was launched in Kenya in 2019. Based in some 600km (372 miles) northwest of the capital Nairobi, the project makes up 18 per cent of the country’s energy production. “The wind conditions in the north of Kenya are rather unique for the continent. You will be hard-pressed to find another location in Africa with a similar wind regime,” project CEO, Phylip Leferink, said. “(This) however does not mean that there is no potential for other wind projects in Africa; there most certainly is. Especially the African coastline, from Djibouti all the way south around South Africa and up north again up to Cameroon, has good wind potential and certainly warrants initiatives in this regard.”
Wind power is not the only renewable energy initiative in Kenya, with off-grid solar power also making a significant contributions to the country’s energy production. M-Kopa solar power is a scheme which offers low-cost financing for off-grid solar power for homes. Over the past decade, it has powered over 225,000 homes in Kenya, as well as Uganda and Tanzania. These initiatives have been identified as a firm step in the right direction, according to the UN report’s co-author Yamina Saheb. “Renewable energy sources are definitely an important mitigation strategy for Africa, offering its citizens decent living standards by developing infrastructure and buildings that do not require carbon intensive solutions,” she told the Associated Press.
