The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) says that the capacity for renewable energy in 2021 was 30%. The agency’s report on renewable energy targets, which was published in November 2022, made this statement.
In accordance with the report, 57% of the capacity that was aimed for development in 2030 has already been reached. In fact, most regions have already passed the midway point in terms of reaching their goals. Sub-Saharan Africa is at 30%, though. The study claims:
“To meet the targets set by 2030, totalling 5.4 TW, countries would be targeting an additional 2.3 TW by 2030, equivalent to average yearly additions of 259 gigawatts (GW) over the next nine years.”
However, the average annual capacity additions of 259 GW that are planned until 2030 represent less than a third of the 860 GW needed to meet the 1.5°C scenarios.
The sub-Saharan African context: In sub-Saharan African nations like Nigeria, deploying renewable energy technologies to underserved communities presents challenges.
Reaching some of these communities can be difficult because some of them are inaccessible, according to renewable energy expert Chigozie A., who spoke to Nairametrics. According to him, the number of people in the area without access to off-grid energy is rising.
According to IRENA’s report, it is difficult to reach underserved populations. Additionally, even where access is available, it is frequently very unreliable.
The region’s population growth presents another obstacle to the successful adoption of renewable energy technologies. According to IRENA, the population is expanding at a rate that is faster than the expansion of access to clean cooking and renewable energy sources.
Between 2019 and 2022, Nigeria will be able to install 1 million standalone solar home systems (SHS) thanks to the dedication of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).
According to a statement issued by the REA in November 2022, with the achievement of the milestone, approximately 5 million people in Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones now have access to clean, safe, dependable, and affordable electricity thanks to the use of SHS technology.
The REA states that the goal of standalone solar home systems (SHS) for homes and micro, small, and medium-sized businesses (MSMEs) is to assist millions of underserved and unserved Nigerian households and MSMEs in gaining access to better energy services at a reasonable price, through private sector businesses.
The adoption of renewable energy technologies, whether for electricity or clean cooking, is said to have a positive socioeconomic impact on jobs, the local economy, improved livelihoods, gender equality, and welfare, according to the IRENA report.
The report also claimed that, under the 1.5°C scenario, a global energy transition based on renewables could increase gross domestic product (GDP).
According to the report, the socioeconomic advantages could be more pronounced in Africa, where a renewable energy transition has the potential to promote industrialization, socioeconomic development, and an improvement in the welfare of the populace.
The delegation from the China Renewable Energy Engineering Institute (CREEI) met with the Nigerian minister of power, Engr. Abubakar Aliyu, last week to discuss a potential partnership.
The private sector players in the off-grid power sector as well as the nation’s educational institutions may benefit from CREEI’s expertise in solar and wind energy.
