Aiming to formulate a sustainable strategy for energy transformation in Africa, the Africa Energy Indaba 2024 took place in Cape Town from March 5 to 7.

China has stepped up collaboration with African countries in advancing green energy over the past years, making constant efforts to draw a blueprint of energy cooperation featuring complementary advantages.

Cooperation gains momentum

The China-Africa green energy cooperation has yielded remarkable achievements in recent years, with its focus on clean energy development including wind power and solar photovoltaic technologies as well as energy infrastructure construction.

China has implemented hundreds of clean energy generation and energy grid projects in Africa, most of which have risen to become the pillars of local clean energy development, including the De Aar Wind Farm in South Africa, the Garissa Solar Power Station in Kenya, and the Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant in Rwanda.

Meanwhile, Chinese enterprises, as valued advisors to African inter-regional organizations, government bodies, and enterprises, have helped them pave the way for clean energy development. Joint efforts have been made to propel the development of electric power research, the establishment of green energy demonstration zones, and the cultivation of professionals.

China pioneers green transition and collaborates closely with African nations, highlighting its significant role in advancing solar and wind energy projects across Africa, according to Adhere Cavince, an international relations specialist of Kenyan nationality.

The technologies of solar, wind, and tidal energy have seen widespread applications among African countries. With electricity demand constantly on the rise, renewable energy holds immeasurable potential for development in Africa.

For instance, Kenya has seen more than 90 percent of its energy supply drawn from sustainable sources, which is expected to reach 100 percent by 2030.

Cooperation brings about win-win-results

Against the backdrop of the global energy transition, China and Africa will embrace win-win cooperation via bilateral collaboration in green energy.

Yang Baorong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Institute of West-Asian and African Studies, noted that China and African countries should actively promote green transition with enhanced green development capabilities.

A substantial amount of hydro, solar, and wind energy sources remains untapped in Africa as a result of understaffed research institutions and weaker technological foundations. Additionally, the progress of resource development varies among countries.

In conjunction with the inadequate development of power grid infrastructure, African nations encounter challenges transmitting power despite the successful generation of electricity from renewable sources, Yang said.

China's production and technological advantages in green energy align well with Africa's natural resources, Young added, and both parties can drive the development of green energy initiatives through collaboration.

Cooperation eyes a bright future

The successful installation of the first unit of the 500MW wind power project in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt, carried out by the Power Construction Corporation of China (PowerChina), signifies another important milestone in the construction progress of the project and represents a crucial step towards achieving grid-connected power generation goals.

The Karuma Hydropower Plant, developed by Sinohydro, a leading Chinese civil engineering construction company, has recently commenced operations. The grid-connected power generation from this plant will elevate Uganda's total installed power capacity from 1278MW to 1878MW, representing an increase of almost 50%.

The long-standing energy cooperation between China and Africa encompasses agreements signed between China’s Ministry of Commerce and South Africa's Ministry of Electricity during the third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation (BRF), as well as collaborative efforts on personnel exchange in eco-protection under the China-Africa initiatives and the progress on the African Light Source Project.

Additionally, numerous individuals in Africa are looking forward to further cooperation between both sides in green energy.

Source: WeChat official Account of the CISTE, VOC