Southern Africa warned of increased electricity co...

Southern Africa warned of increased electricity consumption, urged to invest in renewable energy

Oscar J Jeke

The Southern African Power Pool has been alerted to the projected increase in consumption of electricity, with an estimated consumption of 85 00MW projected by 2040.

This emerged at the signing of the Record of Discussions between the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Southern African Power Pool on strengthening power generation and resolutions to counter the rise in demand.

The 12-member organisation pledged to promote development through capacity building and increasing accessibility to clean and affordable electricity in the member states.

The project seeks to meet the standards of the Sustainable Development Goals on affordable and clean energy and partnerships for the goals.

JICA commended the region for its vast advantages in energy generation, however noting the uneven distribution and underutilisation.

“The Southern Africa region has a high potential for the use of renewable energy sources such as hydro, solar and wind power. However, renewable energy resources are unevenly distributed and the region is unable to fully utilise renewable energy as a whole.

“Furthermore, with the future growth of electricity demand in the Southern Africa region, peak demand is projected to reach 85 000 MW by 2040. In order to provide clean and affordable electricity and improve access to electricity in the long term, it is essential to promote the development of renewable energy sources and the integration of electricity sharing within the region.

“Through SAPP, whose secretariat is located in Zimbabwe, this project will provide capacity building for wide-area system operation and electricity market operation for the power utilities of 12 SAPP member countries, and will contribute to the promotion of stable access to clean and affordable electricity in the Southern Africa region,” JICA said.