Future of HydropowerAfrica’s hydropower future

Energy poverty is rife in Africa. Of the more than one billion people living in its 54 countries, over half lack access to electricity.

In global debates on renewable energy and the drive to find cleaner, greener alternatives to fossil fuels, wind and solar power usually grab the headlines.

But the data shows a different picture. Hydropower produces more than three-quarters of the world’s renewable energy output each year. And its carbon emissions — over the entire lifecycle of construction, operation and decommissioning — are often far lower than those from all other renewable sources, including wind and solar.Across Africa, hydropower is responsible for 84 per cent of all non-fossil fuel energy use. But in a continent rich in lakes and rivers, the opportunities for expanding hydropower are huge.

The Nile is the world’s longest river, making it one of Africa’s greatest potential sources of hydropower.

The GERD is being built in the Benishangul-Gumuz region of Ethiopia, just upstream from the Sudanese border. On completion in 2017, it is planned to be 145 metres high — nearly one-and-a-half times the height of Victoria Falls — making it the highest dam in Africa. Its reservoir is set to contain 74 billion cubic metres of water, roughly the same as 13 times Ethiopia’s total annual water consumption. The Ethiopian government expects the dam to produce six gigawatts of energy at peak output. This will almost triple Ethiopia’s electricity production, which currently stands at less than three gigawatts.Hydropower projects often split opinion. They can provide abundant clean energy for around 50 years without major maintenance and, unlike other renewables such as solar or wind, they produce continuous power.

Why Hydroelectric is the Future

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