Accelerate the development of wind energy in Africa. This is the objective of the Africa WindPower initiative launched by the Global Wind Energy Council. Through this project, the association that promotes the development of wind energy proposes to act as a facilitator between African governments and investors or producers of wind energy.
The organization will act especially at the regulatory level. According to Global Wind Energy Council, the development of a policy and government regulation, adapted to the energy transition is necessary to unlock private investment inside and outside the continent. For the Nairobi, Kenya-based organization, the delay in the development of wind energy is due to the breakthrough of fossil fuels such as gas in electricity production, despite the stated desire to develop clean energy.
The support of GET.Invest
“Africa has already begun its transition to a clean energy future, but this process is moving far too slowly, with fossil fuels playing too large a role. Countries on the continent have the essential ingredients to develop thriving local wind industries, which would bring significant jobs and economic growth to diverse communities,” says Ben Backwell, Gwec’s executive director.
According to the International Finance Corporation, the private sector financing arm of the World Bank Group, the African continent has a technical wind resource potential of more than 59,000 gigawatt, enough to meet 250 times the continent’s energy demand, Global Wind Energy Council estimates. In its 2020 report, the organization states that 821 megawatt of new wind capacity (in 2020) has been installed in Africa and the Middle East, bringing the region’s total capacity to over 7 gigawatt.
However, this installed capacity represents only 0.01% of the African continent’s wind power potential. For the time being, this energy is mainly produced by onshore wind farms. South Africa, which is asserting a certain leadership in the field, already has an installed wind capacity of 2,323 megawatt according to Power Africa. The AWP is supported by GET.Invest. This European program supports investments in decentralized renewable energy by targeting the private sector, project developers and regulators.