.... An energy insecure continent Yet, 48 countries in sub-Saharan Africa generate only 68,000 megawatts of electricity, which is what just one country in Europe, Spain, produces, notes the World Bank. And of that figure, South Africa alone generates more than 44,000 megawatts. This means that without South Africa, sub-Saharan Africa’s electricity output is 24,000 megawatts, far less than 40,000 megawatts available in New York City. To compound matters, “the low level of power generation is accompanied by correspondingly low rates of electrification. Less than a quarter of the population of sub-Saharan Africa has access to electricity,” says the World Bank. In brief, “Africa is the world’s most energy insecure continent,” says Mr. Yumkella. There is definitely no shortage of energy sources in Africa. More than 90% of the continent’s hydropower, according to the bank, is not even exploited. Nigeria has oil and gas and South Africa has coal. Sudan has 6.4 billion barrels of gas reserves, Angola has 9 billion with smaller deposits in a few other countries. What then is the problem? Mr. Yumkella, a Sierra Leonean, explains: “In the past we have not considered energy as part of poverty reduction.” For a long time, he said, African states monopolized and mismanaged the energy sector. Emergency interventions in energy supply such as in Liberia—also emulated by neighbouring Sierra Leone—have been more impulsive than based on sound economics. Such an emergency approach “represents a planning and procurement failure on a colossal scale,” according to a World Bank’s assessment, adding that the costs of procuring and running power plants in these countries “could rise up to 3% to 5% of GDP.” .... - See more at: un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2014/light-end-tunnel#sthash.8bi222BY.dpuf
Posted on: Wed, 26 Mar 2014 07:13:29 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015