The Stellenbosch University team, together with Rham Equipment company, retrofits a fuel-driven minibus taxi, converting it into an electric vehicle. Photo supplied
A pioneering electric public transport project in Nairobi; electric minibus taxis developed by Stellenbosch University; a light rail train in Addis Ababa and electric motorcycles designed in Kenya and tailored for Africa.
These are among the case studies cited in a new report assessing the problems and opportunities regarding the decarbonisation of transport in Africa.
Globally, transportation contributes about a quarter of all greenhouse gas emissions and the continent offers a “unique opportunity” to explore strategies to reduce these emissions, according to the report.
Despite low motorisation rates, Africa could emerge as a leader in decarbonising transport, the report said, noting how shifting away from fossil fuels offers economic, environmental, health and infrastructural advantages.
“Africa’s abundant renewable energy and youthful workforce make electrifying transport promising. Though some governments have taken steps to reduce fossil fuel use, coordinated efforts are needed to secure the continent’s energy future.”
The report was produced by the Network of African Scientific Academies and the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP), and sponsored by the ClimateWorks Foundation and the African Climate Foundation.
Transportation is a critical enabler of Africa’s economic transformation and features prominently in Africa’s Agenda 2063. “As climate change concerns continue to grow it is critical to decarbonise transportation in Africa, where future carbon emissions are expected to grow rapidly,” the report said.
Africa contributes 4% of global transport emissions, but its emissions are projected to increase rapidly over the next 20 years. This is being driven by rapid urbanisation, economic growth and rising motorisation rates.
“If you look at the transport sector specifically, there are variances across the different African countries, where we see that the leading economies of Kenya, Egypt, South Africa, Nigeria, Morocco and Ghana have the highest motorisation rates, which means they also have the highest emissions when it comes to the transport sector,” Moses Ogutu, of the IAP and the study co-director, pointed out. These countries alone are responsible for 70% of the continent’s emissions in the transport sector.
And, as the motorisation trend continues, “what we see then is the chronic traffic congestion and the high levels of pollution and that is what now creates the case for decarbonisation,” he added.
Cleaner alternatives
The shift from fossil fuel-dependent vehicles to cleaner alternatives such as electric vehicles (EVs) powered by renewable energy sources like hydropower, solar or wind, will significantly reduce air pollution, diminish the reliance on imported fossil fuels and enhance Africa’s energy independence, the report found.
“Economically, decarbonised and sustainable transport solutions can spur economic development, alleviate poverty, and improve transport accessibility while reducing carbon emissions to safeguard the environment.
“Socially, sustainable transportation improves access to transport for all communities, promotes public health, and creates new job opportunities,” it noted, adding that it also presents an essential strategy for countries to meet their targets in their nationally determined contributions, their climate action plans.
With improvements in the availability and access to clean energy sources widespread adoption of electric mobility presents a “viable alternative” to traditional fossil fuel-based transport and has the greatest potential to reduce carbon emissions.
Africa’s developing transport infrastructure and rich renewable energy resources offer the opportunity to adopt cutting-edge, low-emission technologies such as EVs without the significant overhaul required in “more entrenched” transport systems.
Decarbonisation projects underway
Among the report’s findings is that the decarbonisation of transport is already happening across Africa, with projects focused on the growing adoption of electric mobility solutions, bus rapid transit (BRT) systems and light rail transport.
Among these are enabling policies like the EV incentives in Morocco and Kenya, the shift towards sustainable modes such as Rwanda’s investments in cycling infrastructure and South Africa’s push for biofuel usage to improve fuel efficiency.
African governments are using a range of policy instruments to accelerate the decarbonisation of transport at continental and local levels. This includes market-based tools such as subsidies for electric vehicle purchases in Morocco and carbon taxes in South Africa, which encourages cleaner transport options.
Regulatory measures, including emissions standards and vehicle import restrictions, have been implemented in Egypt and Kenya to curb pollution and encourage the adoption of cleaner vehicles. Nigeria, meanwhile, has campaigns promoting electric motorcycles. “These varied policy tools, backed by strategic planning and investments, are critical to boosting the effectiveness of decarbonisation efforts across the continent.”
Decarbonisation has the potential to drive industrial growth and create green job opportunities, with the growing local assembly and manufacturing of EVs in Africa, and initiatives to convert gasoline-powered vehicles, including Africa’s paratransit vehicles, to electric propulsion in countries including Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria.
The conversion of internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles to EVs particularly presents “enormous potential” considering the vast amount of used vehicles in Africa. “Meanwhile, with the necessary infrastructure already present, existing ICE vehicle manufacturers could pivot to EV production, if properly incentivised.”
The abundance of skilled mechanics, “combined with ingenuity and resourcefulness” that African innovators demonstrate, provide the groundwork for a sustainable, scalable model of EV development tailored to the needs and opportunities of the rapidly emerging African EV market, while contributing to the global advancement of electric mobility.
Opportunities extend into EV vehicle parts and battery manufacturing, leveraging Africa’s critical mineral resources, alongside innovative business models such as pay-as-you-go charging and solar charging stations, taking advantage of the continent’s abundant sunlight, the report said.
Fragile electricity grid
But transport electrification in Africa will increase the demand for electricity, and the fragility of the electric grid is a concern regarding viability and sustainability of electric mobility.
Although EVs could play a role in stabilising the grid, for example through a vehicle-to-grid approach, understanding the current state of power systems is key in evaluating the effect of EV deployment in African countries, because electricity is a “central pillar” of the continent’s energy infrastructure.
Increased demand from EVs requires robust and diverse generation facilities and power sources. “Transmission networks will need to be upgraded to handle the increased load, especially during peak charging times, requiring a resilient infrastructure,” the report noted. “The distribution system will face changes in load patterns, particularly in residential areas with home charging, demanding smarter and more responsive grid solutions.”
Thinus Booysen, professor and the Chair of the Internet of Things at the Faculty of Engineering at Stellenbosch University, emphasised the importance of the report being “done in Africa, by Africans for Africa, especially given the electricity demand and the fragility of the grid”.
“What we found in a lot of our research in the African context, electricity makes up a very big part of mobility and the fragility of the grid is actually more important than what you would assume in developed countries,” he said.
“We also have to be very careful, from within Africa, to assume that other countries are the same as ours so in the electricity perspective, the thing to acknowledge is that our infrastructure is not necessarily set up to carry the extra burden of electric vehicles but with that challenge comes the opportunity also to have additional investment in electricity production.”
The big opportunity with this is the need to ensure that the additional production of electricity is green.
“Electrification in Africa is not the same as decarbonisation. It’s crucial that any additional production of electricity and energy must be green,” Booysen said. “The electrification of transport in Africa gives us the opportunity to locally produce vehicles but also to locally produce energy.”
Streamlining EV adoption
Prioritising the electrification of transport for the less costly, higher mileage, and extensively used vehicle segments could streamline the adoption of EVs, maximising environmental benefits and economic efficiency.
“Analysis indicates that two and three-wheelers, along with passenger buses on high-use routes, are attractive candidates for the first stages of transport electrification efforts. Similarly, four-wheelers, taxis, ride-sharing vehicles, and other commercial fleets are identified as more suitable for early electrification compared to less intensively used private family cars, Booysen said.
“Another big thing that makes Africa different is that we have the two-wheelers and the three-wheelers. Looking at electricity fragility, it’s crucial to understand that especially for the informal transport sector in Africa, it’s very difficult to establish when electricity will be needed where, so at what times will people charge and how will they charge?
“These things will be different in the African environment than what they are in a scheduled and structured transport system.”
An integrated sustainable transport strategy that includes mass rapid transport and non-motorised transport can enhance decarbonisation, the report said.
“In Africa, where urbanisation is rapidly increasing, the need for efficient and sustainable transportation systems is more pronounced than ever. The implementation of mass rapid transit systems, such as the BRT systems in Lagos and Dar es Salaam exemplifies proactive steps towards sustainable urban mobility.”