Of all the continents globally, Africa is the least responsible for the effects of climate change. In the last two decades, the continent’s contribution to global greenhouse gas emissions has fluctuated between 3.4% and 3.8%, amounting to only a tiny portion of the emissions responsible for the climate emergency the world faces today.
However, the burden of climate change on economies and livelihoods across the continent is disproportionately high and could be described as a climate injustice. This is because Africa faces the same arduous battle as the rest of the world to tackle the impacts of climate change, and to make itself a sustainable climate resilient continent.
Asides from unprecedented weather challenges, West Africa has one of the lowest electrification rates, with 220 million people living without access, coupled with some of the highest electricity costs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
West Africa needs a resilient energy system to align with global transition
The prevailing challenges surrounding the energy sector across West Africa bring to the fore two salient realities. First, the region will not be able to sufficiently contribute to the global energy transition without a resilient energy system and second, the global clean energy transition holds new promise for Africa’s economic and social development, with renewable energy and other emerging areas offering strong growth potential, if well managed and leveraged.
Experts believe that for West Africa to significantly contribute to the global energy transition, its three pillars – decarbonisation, financial investments, and digitalization and technologies must occupy a central place while complementing each other, and here’s why. Digitalization is a key driver for decarbonisation as an increase in digitalization can bring a net-positive effect on the environment. In addition, solid financial investments are needed to advance the cause of a just energy transition across the region.
Since the 2015 Paris Agreement, decarbonisation has become a significant agenda for countries and businesses across the globe, but why is this such a big deal? On a grand scale, decarbonisation and investments in renewable energy have significant benefits for every citizen, urban and rural dwellers alike.
Across the world, the action of reaching full decarbonisation requires participation and collaboration among key stakeholders, businesses, consumers, political leaders, and public officeholders. Supported by the right environmental policies, countries and global businesses are thriving with decarbonisation efforts in three simple but profound steps: optimize, electrify, and decarbonise!
The opportunities are boundless for West Africa. The region is blessed with a young and growing workforce, huge endowments of land, and various natural resources. There is also an array of untapped renewable energy potential. If properly deployed and leveraged, these assets could be crucial in driving global mitigation efforts, while creating new economic opportunities for the region.
Green Hydrogen: a viable option for transforming the energy sector
Today, renewable energy technologies have reached a level of maturity that allows competitive renewable electricity generation all around the world, which is a prerequisite for competitive green hydrogen production. Across West Africa, green hydrogen is already showing strong potential for growth.
Early in 2022, the Government of Niger signed an agreement with the Emerging Energy Cooperation (EEC) to develop green hydrogen in the country, using renewable power. Elsewhere in Nigeria, the Government remains committed to achieving net zero by 2060. One of the most viable targets for cleaner energy production at the heart of the net-zero targets is the utilization of hydrogen as an alternative fuel.
After years of being touted as the fuel of the future, green hydrogen is now recognized as a crucial component of any realistic net-zero economy in the long term by both governments and investors. For a region in desperate need of energy infrastructure investment, of which renewables and green hydrogen could represent a significant portion, West Africa stands out as one of the regions with the greatest potential for green hydrogen.
What green hydrogen presents in West Africa is a tremendous opportunity to fulfil its energy needs and reduce its emissions in line with the current international standards, backed by solid financial investments and the right policies. These policies should support the establishment of legal frameworks for green hydrogen to support the whole value chain across all sectors.
Energy resources are abundant in West Africa. This abundance is what positions the region as a viable location for the production and export of climate-friendly hydrogen, based either on renewable electricity or natural gas in combination with carbon capture and storage technologies.
Middle East Energy Dubai 2023 to advance conversations around global energy transition
There have been several conversations around the role of green hydrogen development in West Africa’s decarbonisation agenda. Most of these conversations centre around the market potential of the region, export opportunities, and policies, alongside the technology that is required to make its deployment in the region a success.
At the heart of these conversations, Middle East Energy Dubai 2023, the world’s leading energy exhibition, is bringing together the brightest minds across the global energy industry to the Dubai World Trade Centre from March 7 to 9 2023. The event will gather everyone that matters across the global energy sector including energy ministers, utility decision makers, and even innovative startup leaders to participate in conversations around global energy transition, renewable hybrid solutions, and the advancement of the global energy industry.
Leading the conversation on opportunities and challenges that lie within Nigeria’s energy transition, the Strategic Conference, a high-level forum will discuss the unique opportunity presented to Nigeria to merge economic development and climate action priorities.
Speakers on the panel include Engr. Abubakar Ali-Dapshima, Director, Renewable & Rural Power Access Department, Federal Ministry of Power; Ahmad Salihijo, CEO, Rural Electrification Agency of Nigeria; Olakunle Williams, Chief Executive Officer, Tetracore Group; Sule Abdulaziz, Chairman of the Executive Board, West African Power Pool and the Managing Director, Transmission Company of Nigeria; and Sowunmi Olabode, Senior Legislative Aid to the Senate President, National Assembly of Nigeria. In addition to this, the Strategic Conference will also address energy transition goals across other African countries including Egypt, Morocco, Kenya, Zambia, etc.
More importantly, Middle East Energy 2023 will help to bridge West Africa’s electricity gap since it provides a viable platform to advance technological innovation and the actualization of renewable hybrid solutions for the region. It is a platform for networking, business development, and education on power generation, energy management and consumption, transmission and distribution, renewables, and digitalization sectors.
The theme ‘Guiding the region through the energy transition’ is quite timely and will shape the narrative of the conference, with stories from thought leaders who are developing and implementing strategies to successfully facilitate the energy transition and are steering energy efficiency projects while ensuring adequate energy generation to meet future needs.
Experts believe that energy systems in Africa must be designed with technologies that are technically adequate, cost-optimal, and viable. As such, stakeholders across the West African Energy sector would benefit greatly from the valuable networking and multi-sector growth opportunities that the Middle East Energy Dubai 2023 provides.
The 2023 Middle East Energy Exhibition and Conference will be happening at the Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE between the 7th – 9th of March 2023. Registration is open at www.middleeast-energy.com.
Click here to register as a delegate: https://middleeast-energy.me/3Ky5pMB
For more information or questions, please contact [email protected].
