Affordable and Clean Energy

Permanent URI for this collection

https://lhg.cput.ac.za//handle/123456789/18

Browse

Now showing 1 - 13 of 13

Africa 2030: roadmap for a renewable energy future
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) i, 2015) International Renewable Energy Agency
Africa’s economy is growing at unprecedented speed. One of the core challenges as African countries continue to grow and develop is energy: meeting rising demand for power, transport and other uses in a way that is economically sustainable and safeguards livelihoods. Economic growth, changing lifestyles and the need for reliable modern energy access is expected to require energy supply to be at least doubled by 2030. For electricity it might even have to triple. Africa is richly endowed with renewable energy sources, and the time is right for sound planning to ensure the right energy mix. Decisions made today will shape the continent’s energy use of decades to come. The world is increasingly embracing modern renewable energy technologies. For many years they have been supported because of environmental and energy security concerns but in a rising number of situations they are now seen as the most economic option. The use of modern renewables is growing in Africa, and fostering this growth is imperative. African countries are in a unique position: they have the potential to leapfrog the traditional centralised-utility model for energy provision. Africa 2030 is part of IRENA’s global REmap 2030 analysis, which outlines a roadmap to double the share of renewables in the world’s energy mix within the next 15 years. It is based on a country-by-country assessment of energy supply, demand, renewable-energy potential, and practical technology choices for households, industry, transport and the power sector. The results are shown for five African regions. Africa 2030 analysis identified modern renewable technology options across sectors, across countries, collectively contributing to meet 22% of Africa’s total final energy consumption (TFEC) by 2030, which is more than a four-fold increase from 5% in 2013. Four key modern renewable energy technologies with highest deployment potentials for Africa are modern biomass for cooking; hydropower; wind; and solar power. The power sector presents significant opportunity to be transformed through the increased deployment of renewable energy technologies. The share of renewables in the generation mix could grow to 50% by 2030 if the REmap Options in this report are implemented. Hydropower and wind capacity could reach 100 GW capacity each, followed by a solar capacity of over 90 GW. For the power sector this would be an overall tenfold renewable energy capacity increase from 2013 levels. It would result in a reduction of 310 megatonnes of carbon dioxide (Mt CO2) in emissions by 2030 when compared to the baseline scenario. In all regions of Africa except the North, hydropower will continue to play an important role. North, Eastern and Southern Africa can all derive renewable power from other sources, such as wind energy, while concentrating solar power (CSP) will matter specifically in North Africa. Additional renewable power capacity is expected from geothermal sources in East Africa, while solar photovoltaics (PV) will be important in the North and Southern regions.
Energy technology perspectives 2023
(International Energy Agency (IEA), 2023)
The Covid-19 pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have led to major disruptions to global energy and technology supply chains. Soaring prices for energy and materials, and shortages of critical minerals, semiconductors and other components are posing potential roadblocks for the energy transition. Against this backdrop, Energy Technology Perspectives 2023 (ETP-2023) provides analysis on the risks and opportunities surrounding the development and scaling up of clean energy and technology supply chains in the years ahead, viewed through the lenses of energy security, resilience and sustainability. Building on the latest energy, commodity and technology data – as well as recent energy, climate and industrial policy announcements – ETP-2023 explores critical questions around clean energy and technology supply chains. What are the main bottlenecks for efforts to scale up those supply chains sustainably and at the pace needed? How might governments shape their industrial policy in response to new energy security concerns for clean energy transitions? Which clean technology areas are at greatest risk of failing to develop secure and resilient supply chains? And what can governments do to mitigate such risks while meeting broader development goals? The Energy Technology Perspectives series is the IEA’s flagship technology publication, which has been key source of insights on all matters relating to energy technology since 2006. ETP-2023 will be an indispensable guidebook for decision-makers in governments and industry seeking to tap into the opportunities offered by the emerging new energy economy, while navigating uncertainties and safeguarding energy security.
Ghana: renewable readiness assessment
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2015) Singh, Gaun; Nouhou, Safiatou Alzouma; Sokona, Mohamed Youba
Formerly known as the Gold Coast, Ghana is on the West Coast of Africa. In 2014, the population stood at 27 million, with a relatively high rate growth rate of 2.4% per annum. Its gross domestic product (GDP) has been increasing by about 5.5% per year on average, peaking at 15% in 2011 due to the start of crude oil production. Biomass, consisting mainly of wood fuel like firewood and charcoal and to a lesser extent crop residues, accounts for half the Total Primary Energy Supply. Oil is the second most widely used source of energy in Ghana, accounting for 40% of primary energy supply, followed by hydropower and natural gas accounting for 7% and 3% respectively. Large hydropower and oil-fired plants provide most of the electricity (64% and 36% respectively). The Ghanaian power industry is unbundled and consists of state-owned utilities. The generation utilities are the Volta River Authority (VRA) and Bui Power Authority. The Ghana Grid Company (GRIDCo), the Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) and the Northern Electricity Distribution Company (NEDCo) are responsible for transmission and distribution along with independent power producers (IPPs) like Sunon Asogli and CENIT Energy. Access to electricity is around 72% with over 87% for urban areas and just under 50% for rural areas. In 2012, total generated electricity in Ghana stood at 12,870 gigawatt-hours (GWh) with demand at 9,000 GWh. This means the country is a net power exporter to neighbouring countries Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso. However, domestic demand is growing annually by about 10% and is expected to reach around 24,000 GWh by 2020. This will require an increase in generation capacity to more than 3.5 gigawatts (GW) by 2020. Furthermore, recent constraints in the supply of natural gas caused by damage to the West Africa Gas Pipeline (WAGP) have severely curtailed the capacity of thermal power plants to meet peak demand. This amounts to around 1,745 megawatts (MW). This has forced the utilities to practise periodic load shedding since August 2012. Ghana enjoys excellent renewable energy resources, particularly biomass, solar, wind and, to a limited extent, small (1 MW - 30 MW, according to Economic Community of West African States — ECOWAS) and mini (100 kilowatt (kW) - 1 MW) hydropower. When combined with aggressive measures to promote energy efficiency, renewable energy development can contribute substantially to expanding energy access while reducing the latent energy crises stalking the country. Although, Ghana abounds in renewable energy resources, the bulk of this potential largely remained untapped. In 2011, a Renewable Energy Law (Act 882) was adopted to provide fiscal incentives and regulatory framework to encourage private sector investment. The provisions of the Renewable Energy Law includes: Feed-in Tariffs (FiT), Renewable Energy Purchase Obligations (RPO), Net Metering (distributed generation), Off-grid Electrification for Isolated Communities, Promotion of Clean Cookstoves, Research and Development, Renewable Energy Fund (RE Fund), and the establishment of a Renewable Energy Authority (REA). This report presents the output of the Renewables Readiness Assessment (RRA) process in Ghana. It highlights a number of bottlenecks impeding the widespread deployment of renewable energy systems in Ghana, and identifies a range of critical actions in key areas, which when implemented, could have a significant impact on the scaling up of renewable energy in the short- to medium-term. The report also identifies stakeholders who are required or expected to play various roles towards the implementation of the recommended action and the period of time within which, the actions are realistically expected to be implemented.
Off-grid renewable energy statistics 2023
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2023) Akande, Dennis; Ahmed, Iman; Prime, Julian
Off-grid electricity production from renewables, although largely unrecorded in most countries, is believed to be expanding rapidly. By combining information from surveys, administrative data and desk research, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has attempted to illuminate major trends in off-grid renewable energy deployment. This publication presents statistics for the period 2013-2022 in trilingual tables, covering off-grid solar, hydro, bioenergy and wind power capacity, biogas production and numbers of people using off-grid power and biogas for cooking and lighting. Off-grid renewable power can come from a variety of sources, ranging from large isolated power grids to solar lights and solar home systems. In addition to households, off-grid renewables provide power for water pumping, street lighting, charging stations, telecommunications towers, rural schools and clinics, as well as for remote commercial and industrial facilities and other uses. The capacity figures presented here do not cover all the off-grid power sources reported in IRENA's annual capacity statistics. They do, however, provide more detail on the end-uses of some types of off-grid renewable power, along with information about the numbers of people using such sources of power.
Potential limitations of marginal pricing for a power system based on renewables
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2022) Garcia-Casals, Xavier; Bianco, Emanuele
Marginal pricing wholesale power markets could produce significant barriers for the energy transition, and on their own do not appear to be appropriate organisational structures for renewables-based power systems. Besides the well-known cannibalisation and merit order effects (depressing renewable generator revenues as the transition advances), under a marginal pricing-based power system organisational structure, the high difference in marginal costs of the technologies needed to operate a renewables-based power system (bulk renewable generation and flexibility) may lead to socio-political instabilities such as those experienced during 2022 as a consequence of high natural gas prices. A way to prevent the misalignments and transition barriers explored in this Technical paper is to change the power system organisational structure in such a way that it honours the different techno-economic characteristics of both bulk renewable electricity generation and flexibility. IRENA’s dual procurement proposal is an example of such an organisational structure. Marginal pricing can still play a role but with its scope limited to the procurement of flexibility.
Renewable energy for remote communities: a guidebook for off-grid projects
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2023)
As of 2021, 675 million people worldwide had no access to electricity. In order to achieve the objectives of UN Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, and accelerate efforts to deliver universal access to modern energy across the globe, it is essential to determine the most suitable approaches to connect last mile settlements that are remote from the grid or are unlikely to benefit from grids being extended to their homes. This report provides analysis of nine, sustained off-grid projects providing electricity to remote communities around the globe. It aims to contribute to a greater understanding of viable, replicable delivery models and their success factors. The report finds that community engagement and ownership in such projects is essential to developing and sustaining decentralised renewable energy (DRE) projects for last-mile electricity provision.
Renewable energy in Africa: an opportunity in a time of crisis
(WoMin African Alliance ; 350Africa.org, 2020)
The report aims to give activists in ten African countries (Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Kenya, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, and Uganda) an overview of the renewable energy situation in their country, with a view to identifying leverage points to increase the sustainable uptake of renewable energy in those countries. The University of Cape Town’s Energy Research Centre conducted the research, commissioned by 350Africa.org and WoMin. This report also includes case studies and commentary from the commissioning organisations.
Renewable energy markets: GCC 2023
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2023)
The GCC countries are some of the world’s most significant fossil fuel producers and exporters, and are among the world’s largest per capita emitters of CO2. However, this report shows that renewable energy deployment is growing in the region; albeit the share of renewables in the electricity mix of the GCC region remains negligible, accounting for only 3% of the region’s generation capacity in 2022. Renewable energy deployment also remains highly concentrated in the region, with the UAE accounting for more than 60% of the region’s total renewables capacity and close to 70% of renewable energy investments; yet investments and deployments are expected to accelerate across all GCC states as they implement their renewable energy plans. The energy transition, including renewable energy deployment, presents the region with opportunities for climate change mitigation and adaptation as well as economic diversification. Climate vulnerability is high in the region, reinforcing the importance of urgent climate mitigation and adaptation actions in which renewables play a critical role. The GCC has a solid energy infrastructure that can be leveraged and built on for increased shares of renewables. Domestically, investments in renewables in the GCC are expected to reach new heights in the years to come following COP28. While the region’s past has clearly been shaped by fossil fuels, its future may well be shaped by renewables.
Renewable energy targets in small island developing states
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2022) Rana, Faran; Abdullah Abou Ali
Climate change, combined with recent geopolitical developments, has sent shockwaves throughout the global economy, magnifying concerns around energy security, food security and weather-related disasters. Small island developing states (SIDS), which are amongst the lowest emitters worldwide, are most at risk from these potential threats. However, they are increasingly employing ambitious plans to deploy renewable energy in order to secure its multiple benefits. This technical paper presents a quantification of SIDS’ renewable energy targets, both in their national energy plans and in their NDCs, comparing commitments made within their national policies and plans with those that extend to the Paris Agreement framework. The conditionality of commitments is explored, where applicable highlighting the urgent need to mobilise international support to SIDS in the form of financing, technology transfer and technical assistance, to help meet their renewable energy commitments.
Renewables readiness assessment: Burkina Faso
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2023) Fichaux, Nicolas
This renewables readiness assessment (RRA) for Burkina Faso has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries. It identifies several drivers for the country to accelerate its energy transition. These include securing a sustainable energy supply at affordable and stable prices; increasing the resilience of rural communities through energy access; leveraging its significant renewable energy potential to diversify its economy and create qualified and sustainable jobs; and honouring its international commitments to address climate and health impacts in the energy sector. The assessment also examines existing enabling frameworks for renewable energy deployment, as well as an overview of the renewable energy financing landscape, including international, regional and national financial instruments and programmes to promote renewable energy investments. Key recommendations in the report include the reinforcement of institutional frameworks; development and updating of an integrated resource plan with investment plans for grid capacity and electricity storage; development of business models for rural electrification; strengthening of financing capacities, and insurance and tax ecosystems; operationalisation of rooftop solar and net metering; regulation of the solar home systems market; supporting local industries and entrepreneurship; assessment of bioenergy potential; and review of hydropower potential.
Renewables readiness assessment: Solomon Islands
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2024) Soakai, Apisake; Gonelevu Rakai, Arieta
This renewables readiness assessment (RRA) for the Solomon Islands has been developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification through the SIDS Lighthouses Initiative. It identifies several drivers to accelerate the deployment of renewables and ramp up energy transition efforts in the country. These include strengthening energy security through increased investment in renewables, enabling policy and regulatory frameworks such as subsidies, tax credits, renewable energy standards to encourage private sector participation, job creation in installation, maintenance and research, strengthening energy independence, garnering community and public support and affordable and stable energy prices. The assessment also examines existing enabling frameworks for renewable energy deployment, and provides an overview of the renewable energy financing landscape, including international, regional and national financial instruments and programmes to promote renewable energy investments. The report outlines seven priority strategic areas for development: institutional restructuring of the electricity grid to foster market competition; developing and enforcing renewable energy standards for resilient off-grid renewable energy; creating innovative funding mechanisms; developing markets for electric mobility and innovative solutions for the maritime and aviation sectors; facilitating renewable energy implementation in key sectors such as health, agriculture, food, water, education, tourism, fisheries and forestry; promoting energy efficiency and energy conservation measures; and fostering partnerships and strategic engagements.
Sustainable bioenergy pathways in Latin America: promoting bioenergy investment and sustainability
(International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), 2024)
Latin America, with its favourable climate, land availability and strong agricultural industry, has considerable untapped potential for biomass production. A workshop held in São Paulo in March 2023, featuring public and private sector representatives, explored this potential, focusing on Argentina, Brazil and Colombia. The workshop reviewed successful instances of the assessment and valuation of greenhouse gas reduction using biofuels; identified the need for a robust legal and regulatory framework to ensure stable market conditions and reduce investment risk; and emphasised the importance of regional cooperation to share knowledge and overcome barriers, prejudices and bottlenecks. In order to promote the bioenergy sector in the region, the workshop also recommended implementing a bioenergy market with financial incentives and support for research, technology, and infrastructure, and the subsequent progressive development and diversification of products and markets.
Tripling renewable power and doubling energy efficiency by 2030: crucial steps towards 1.5°C
(International Renewable Energy Agency ; COP28 ; Global Renewables Alliance (GRA), 2023)
The global energy transition requires a significant reduction in carbon emissions across the entire energy industry, as well as in end-use sectors. Leveraging low-cost solar PV, onshore and offshore wind, and other renewable electricity generation sources, the power sector must lead the way as solutions in other sectors scale up. Accelerating the progress of the transition worldwide requires a holistic approach, backed by systemic innovation to transform existing structures and systems built for the fossil fuel era. Whilst the phase down of fossil fuels is both essential and inevitable, it must also be responsible. The transition needs to be delivered in a way that ensures energy security, accessibility and affordability, while also sustaining socio-economic development and adopting nature-positive approaches. The speed at which the transition is achieved will be determined by how quickly zero-carbon alternatives can be introduced and scaled up. Greater ambition and stronger collective action are immediately required to accelerate progress, particularly in renewable energy and energy efficiency. Against this backdrop, policy makers, energy authorities, industry and civil society have an opportunity to align at COP28 to agree global targets to triple renewable power generation capacity and double the energy efficiency improvement rate by 2030. These goals represent some of the most important levers for change to advance the energy transition this decade. This report consolidates high-level analysis of these targets, detailing existing shortfalls and identifying key enablers to resolve them. It represents global perspectives within the renewable energy and climate change space, with the COP28 Presidency, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA) uniting to provide concrete recommendations on the means to meet these renewable power and energy efficiency targets. The solutions presented are technologically mature, cost-competitive and commercially available, and can be scaled up rapidly in most countries around the world; indeed, utility-scale solar PV and onshore wind are already the most cost-competitive sources of new electricity supply in most countries today (IRENA, 2023b). Accelerating progress in renewable energy deployment and energy efficiency improvement measures this decade would contribute to a cleaner energy system, improve energy security and reduce exposure – both in industry and for consumers – to the damaging risks of highly volatile fossil fuel prices. It would also improve air quality and reduce health costs; deliver universal access to clean affordable energy; and provide greater collective security and well-being. With the right policies in place, the global energy transition will also bring extensive socio-economic benefits, including in the form of job creation and income generation.

Browse

Browsing Affordable and Clean Energy by Subject "Energy development"

Results Per Page

Sort Options