Africa’s search for energy

“Rural energising, as opposed to rural electrification, should be the route towards a new sustainable energy path for Africa’s development,” says Dr Abeeku Brew-Hammond during the launch of a book on the continent’s search for sustainable energy solutions on Wednesday night.

The event, hosted by the University of Cape Town’s Energy and Development Research Centre (EDRC) as part of the World Summit deliberations, also marked the launch of a research partnership which brings collaborations between 10 energy research institutes across Africa to exchange information on developing sustainable energy solutions.

Brew-Hammond says that rural electrification is about extending the grid to rural areas or using decentralisation methods such as solar or hydro panels.

“For rural villagers this is not sustainable. In many instances, the rural poor don’t have the money to pay for access to such services. Such energy is used for lights and cooking in a household.

“Rural energising is about the use of energy for production and income generation. Many rural women in West Africa spent hours everyday extracting oil from ground nuts manually. Part of the capital investment used in extending the grid can be used to acquire a diesel generator, for example, to run a water pump or an oil press. All that rural Africa needs is a package of mechanical and electrical devices that would not only bring electricity but improve the living standards of the poor as well.”

Brew-Hammond’s comments come in the wake of Eskom, South Africa’s energy utility, expanding its programmes into the rest of the continent.

“Eskom’s efforts are welcome, and largely they have to do with bilateral arrangements between governments and energy utilities. All I am calling for is a combination of the two approaches to provide Africa with sustainable energy.”

The tone of the book launch was set by the chairperson of the side event, Professor Ogunlade Davidson of EDRC.

Davidson said the irony of energy production and consumption is that Africa is rich in both renewable and non-renewable energy but it is the lowest consumer of these energies.

“Much of the energy produced in Africa is exported. Africa has 17% access to electricity compared to 80% access in other parts of the world. And its coal and gas reserves could last for the next 80 years or so,” Davidson said in his introduction.

About six contributors to the book made presentations on the challenges facing Africa on sustainable energy. These range from the use of outdated technology, lack of infrastructure, low institutional support and a neglect of untapped resources.

When the debate shifted to liberalisation of energy, a European Parliament MP warned of the dangers of privatisation which may result in a few companies enjoying monopoly over the sector.

Davidson quipped: “Public utility monopolies are more welcome than private monopolies.”

A member of the audience, who introduced himself as Uganda’s ambassador to the United Nations, threw the cat among pigeons when he challenged European non-governmental organisations to stop using Africa’s young people to oppose hydro-electric projects in Africa.

“England is generating only one percent of its energy requirements from wind power [which is in abundance in that country], for example,” he said.

Davidson joined the fray to suggest that there is nothing wrong with hydro-generated power. “Who says dams cannot be renewed?” he asked.

The direction of the debate appeared to suggest that Africa’s urgent task was to roll-out energy infrastructure as soon as possible, only then start to consider the “luxuries” of sustainable energy production and use. Hence the theme of the debate: “Think Bigger and Act Faster”.

It was South Africa’s Mineral and Energy Minister, Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, who had the last word.

“Africa must seek its own solutions and analysis to its problems. Investment in research and development is vital [if any headway is to be made],” she said.

She announced the recent formation of the Association of African Energy Regulators as a positive development in this direction. A new financial initiative, the Energy Fund — is being proposed to fund capital investment of the continent’s energy infrastructure.