{"id":60014356,"date":"2024-04-22T16:13:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-22T16:13:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/?p=60014356"},"modified":"2024-06-27T23:16:54","modified_gmt":"2024-06-27T22:16:54","slug":"can-renewables-ease-africas-energy-access-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/energy\/can-renewables-ease-africas-energy-access-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Can renewables ease Africa\u2019s energy access crisis?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, countries are struggling to achieve universal energy access and clean-energy transitions. More than 600 million<\/a> Africans cannot access electricity, and a lack of reliable energy continues to hurt socio-economic development in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With just six years to meet the UN\u2019s Sustainable Development Goal 7<\/a> of \u201caccess to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all\u201d, addressing this particular energy crisis could not be more urgent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The energy situation across the continent is broadly characterised by weak infrastructure, underfunding, low access to reliable and clean energy, and unequal access, with supply largely focused on urban areas. In many countries, insufficient<\/a> power generation is a major drag on development goals, the functioning of basic public services, and quality of life. Many sectors and daily activities are limited to daytime operating hours, including education. Healthcare services are severely impacted<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite progress being made in certain countries, the situation is worsening at the continental level. Between 2019 and 2021, the number of people in Africa living with no access to electricity increased by 4%<\/a>. Meanwhile, better-off nations such as Kenya, Rwanda and Ghana are on course to reach universal coverage by 2030, according to the IEA<\/a> (International Energy Agency).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Renewable energy is a potential equaliser. With several large projects on the horizon, how are African countries trying to close their energy-access gaps? And what stands in the way?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

East Africa<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

No East African country has achieved full electricity access, and levels of access differ vastly in the region. Kenya enjoys the greatest access by far \u2013 75%<\/a> in 2018 \u2013 followed by Tanzania \u2013 thought to be approaching 38%<\/a> in 2020. Meanwhile, neighbouring Burundi had just 10%<\/a> access as of 2021. (Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda and Sudan primarily<\/a> obtain their electricity through renewables.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n