The shift towards adopting renewable energy has gained momentum as a crucial step in addressing the climate change crisis. Scientists have cautioned that continued reliance on fossil fuels will push global temperatures beyond the critical 1.5 degrees Celsius threshold.

Africa has positively responded to this call, as evidenced by the remarkable growth of renewable energy investments at a rate of 96% annually between 2010 and 2020, surpassing the global average of 7%. Despite currently accounting for less than 3% of global renewable energy capacity, Africa’s substantial growth in the sector over the past decade underscores the continent’s immense potential in the years to come.

Against the backdrop of the report, Mohamed Adow, Executive Director, PowerShift Africa, considering the massive renewable energy resources, Africa has the potential to achieve not just energy security for itself and its people, but 100% energy sovereignty.

Based on a new analysis by Zero Carbon Analytics, Renewable energy capacity in Africa doubled between 2012 and 2022 to almost 59 GW, and wind capacity alone is expected to rise by over 900% based on announced projects to date.

Wangari Muchiri, Global Wind Energy Council indicated that the surge in renewable energy capacity witnessed in wind and solar power is a transformative moment for the continent.

She cited the doubling of renewables capacity to almost 59 GW in the last decade, to the exponential rise in wind energy projections, adding that the continent is witnessing an inspiring momentum towards a sustainable future.

In addition to the comments, Landry Ninteretse, Regional Director, 350Africa.org, said that the report paints a promising picture of the steady growth of renewable energy in Africa and the potential to drive the global energy transition.

“As the continent seeks to further boost its renewable energy capacity to 300 GW by 2030 as outlined in the Africa Climate Summit Leaders’ declaration, it is critical that governments across the globe channel sizeable investments into people-centered renewable energy systems on the continent, while setting up enabling policies and progressive financing mechanisms as well as removing infrastructural barriers to the expansion of clean energy,” said Landry.

In spite of the energy poverty of up to 600 million Africans, the use of stand-alone off-grid solar systems has improved access to electricity on the continent growing at an annual rate of 62% between 2009 and 2019. As is clearly proven that the continent’s solar energy market, is the fastest-growing renewable energy resource in Africa accounting for 57% of renewable investments between 2010 and 2021.

Fadhel Kaboub, Senior Advisor at Power Shift Africa emphasized that this is Africa’s biggest opportunity in the 21st century is to use its vast strategic minerals reserves in a Pan-African industrial policy that leverages the continent’s complementarity of resources and capabilities and our large internal market to manufacture and deploy renewable energy, clean cooking, and green transportation infrastructure. “

This green high-tech industrial strategy is going to unleash our potential and propel the continent into an era of peace, equity, and sustainable prosperity,” said Fadhel.

From 2010 to 2020, 86% of private energy investments in Africa were directed at renewables in southern Africa, 82% in East Africa, and 67% in North Africa even though, gas accounted for more than half of all capacity additions (renewable and fossil) between 2011 and 2021. 

Adow asserted that instead of pumping billions of dollars into fossil fuels for developed countries’ immediate energy security, the developed world must instead redirect these investments towards renewables that will simultaneously bolster Africa’s development and advance global climate goals.

The fourth report in the series, ‘Africa’s energy transition: solar and wind fuel energy security,’ builds on several pieces of research on exponential systems change released by RMI, Systems Change Lab, and others this year, which demonstrate that change is happening faster than we think.