More than a century has passed since electricity started to be installed in homes and businesses in Europe and North America. But electric power is still a distant dream across large swathes of Africa. Six hundred million people, around half the continents population, have no electricity at home. The true extent of the power gap is even greater, since hundreds of millions of people in Africa receive only a limited or unreliable supply.
Renewable energy is clearly a major part of the solution. Africa has some of the worlds best conditions for renewables, with an estimated 60 of global solar resources, and excellent potential for wind, hydropower and geothermal energy across large parts of the continent.
But despite its massive needs and colossal resources, Africa receives just 2 of global investment in renewable energy.
This seemingly illogical and evidently unfair situation is, however, now receiving serious scrutiny. Last year, African governments called for the continent to aim for 300 GW in renewables capacity by 2030. The need to redirect financial flows towards renewable energy investments will be a key part of the agenda at this years COP29 climate summit.
A host of other initiatives are also aiming to tackle the problem. One of these is the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa APRA, established by seven African governments along with the United States, Germany, Denmark and the United Arab Emirates at last years COP28. The International Renewable Energy Agency IRENA acts as the secretariat for the initiative.
