Construction of power facilities in Africa to receive a boost from AfDB

The African Development Bank now says that it will focus more on efforts to construct more power facilities in Africa in a bid to tackle the chronic power shortages in the continent. AfDB new president Dr. Akinwumi Adesina said that the move will help unlock Africa’s economic potential and end its vulnerability to fluctuations in commodity prices.

According to the International Energy Agency, Africa requires an additional $450 billion in power sector investment to halve blackouts and achieve electricity access for all in urban areas by 2040.

Speaking in Kampala this week, at the end of a roadshow that also took him through Nairobi and Dar es Salaam, The chief executive of Elecrama 2016 Mr Uttam Kumar said that Africa needs to add 250 gigawatts by 2030 to light up the two-thirds of her population that currently lack access to electricity. He adds that this can be made possible with continued support of construction of power facilities in Africa.

Kumar added that Africa can take advantage of the recent evolution of renewable energy technology and reduced cost to leapfrog the path taken by industrialised economies.

“To meet this demand, an additional investment of $450 billion in the power sector is needed,” Mr Kumar said, adding that Africa can take advantage of the recent evolution of renewable energy technology and reduced cost to leapfrog the path taken by industrialised economies.

According to Mr Aaditya Dhoot, the chairman of Elecrama 2016, at 1,750 gigawatts, Africa’s onshore wind resources exceed the continent’s total demand for the foreseeable future and at the forum, sector planners can invest in technology, best practices, new systems and forecasting trends in the future of electricity to better position themselves on how to enhance electricity in Africa.