Quick Summary:
In this article, RiA is proud to present the Africa Large-Scale Solar Projects Tracker. Find below the main talking points:
- Drawing up inventory
- Key findings
- Helping the solar industry
ARTICLE
* Gyebale ko dear RiA-der! Oli otya?
Another day, another milestone achieved! Not a single day goes by without the industry hearing about a solar project being announced in on the 55 countries and yet it is still not very clear for many, how many projects have been completed in Africa and where. Am I correct? You’re either smiling or grinding but either way you know there’s truth there. The good news is …RiA is doing something about it.
Drawing up Inventory
Over the last few months, RiA has worked diligently with our colleagues and partners to draw up a list of all solar projects listed across Africa. We have been looking at both PV and CSP technologies and also both operational and non-operational projects.
To create this database, tracking solar projects, we have used a combination desk-based researches, telephone interviews and also a number of field trip. The information collected has been carefully assessed and this tracker would hopefully bring some level of clarity to the industry. Data collected have been classified in following categories:
Region – Country – Renewables Target – RE share of generated electricity – Target Year- Project – Region/Province – Town – Technology – Size – Developer – EPC – Tariff – Investors – Offtaker – COD – Population – CO2 Offset – Comments
For each of the project listed, fields have been completed to the best of our abilities and left empty when the information was not available.
Key Findings
Some key findings could be shared from this exercise.
- The cumulative solar capacity installed in Africa is still very small, representing less than 1% of the global cumulative solar capacity (2.8 GW in Africa versus 403 GW in the World).
- South Africa is by far the dominant market in the region with close to 2 GW of solar power installed and 1.3 GW solar project in the pipeline. The inflexion point for the country was the REIPPP programme which has been driving force for the sector.
- North African countries, Algeria, Egypt and Morocco, combined together represent the second market although the current operational capacity is very modest (less than 1 GW). Following difficult political events at the start of the decade, they are now resolutely looking to build a strong local industry for solar.
- Sub-Sahara Africa is making steady progress with more countries turning to solar to solve their energy challenges. Although few solar plants are currently operational, the pipeline of solar projects is growing by the day. Not all will be implemented but at the example of Senegal, we are cautiously confident that the industry is entering an acceleration phase.
Helping the Solar industry
The African continent is increasingly becoming attractive for the solar industry and many investors and developers, local and foreign are looking to access right information to improve their knowledge of the market. The tracker is certainly helping them in this regard. From understanding what project has been built where, to their size or tariff applied would great the decision-making process.
It might be cliché and most likely the majority of the investors and other stakeholders understand how complex and diverse the continent, however, there is always this finite number of well-wishers who will believe there is only one side of Africa (usually and they do not need a refined approach to find their fortunes. How wrong could they be? Make no mistake, Africa is the Land of Opportunity but you’ll access the holy grail only by doing your homework. Get to know the industry! Get the know where and how Solar is growing. The RiA tracker and report is here to help you and we are hoping you’ll make use of it. Buy your copies now (LINK: https://goo.gl/RfnQFB ) and brighten-up your knowledge!
**Siiba bulungi
* Gyebale ko. Oli otya? :“Hello. How are you? ” in Luganda Language
** Siiba bulungi : “Have a nice day” in Luganda
Luganda Language
Luganda, or Ganda, or Oluganda, is one of the major languages in Uganda and is spoken by more than Baganda and other people principally in central Uganda, including the capital Kampala of Uganda. In total about 17% (roughly 7 million) of the population speak the language. It belongs to the Bantu branch of the Niger–Congo language family.
