AFRICA BEGINS BUILDING WIND

AfDB Study Examines the Role of Wind Energy in Africa's Economic Growth

November 5, 2012 (All Africa Global Media via RenewablesBiz)

“…[Wind Energy Development in Africa from the African Development Bank (AfDB)] cites [eight] African countries with significant potential wind resources including: Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Madagascar, Kenya and Chad [where pilot wind projects will be developed through 2013]…

“The report…notes that this natural resource is not being used efficiently to generate electricity for the benefit of isolated communities across the continent…Emelly Mutambatsere, Senior Research Economist at the AfDB and co-author of the study…emphasized that public authorities needed to take a leading role in encouraging economic operators in the private sector to invest in this area.”

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“The exact sum that would need to be released to fund projects of this kind remains unknown…North Africa is, to date, the only part of the continent which has been able to create mechanisms designed to develop the market…[E]xternal help is a condition for development…[but the] active involvement of the private sector is also necessary…For Mutambatsere, the challenge…is for local communities in Africa to grasp the opportunities…[They should begin] with mapping and a database, on the availability of potential developments in wind energy.

“…[T]he entire continent of Africa currently produces…one Gigawatt of [wind-generated] electricity…[from] a few wind-power stations that have been built with US $1.8 billion in funding…The African Development Bank is one of the financial institutions that is investing in the development of infrastructure…[16 wind projects in various African countries] will generate a further…one Gigawatt…[and] another huge [five gigawatt] wind-power station project is being planned…in the Sahara region in Morocco…”

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