China is becoming a key partner in Africa’s energy transformation – Xinhua

As affordable Chinese clean and renewable energy products and technologies become more available in Africa, a bright future is emerging, driven by a green transformation.

by Xinhua journalists Yang Jun, Zhang Man

NAIROBI/BEIJING, July 12 (Xinhua) — As night falls, many remote African villages are plunged into absolute darkness, relying only on candles and kerosene lamps for light. Even in African cities with electricity grids, frequent power outages disrupt daily life.

Despite the continent’s vast renewable energy potential, some 600 million people in Africa still live without electricity. However, with the increasing availability of affordable Chinese clean and renewable energy products and technologies in Africa, a bright future driven by a green transformation is within sight.

ACCESSIBLE TO EVERYONE

Africa boasts abundant renewable energy resources, such as solar and wind power. The Sahara’s abundant sunshine makes it an ideal location for the development of the photovoltaic industry, while Africa’s extensive coastline provides excellent conditions for the development of offshore wind energy.

In some remote African villages, photovoltaic panels are being used to build small solar power plants that provide electricity to nearby households. Although these plants are small, they have significantly improved the lives of local people.

Night lighting allows children to read and families to cook and boil water. Some villages have used lighting to stimulate economic activity.

According to the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority, Kenya obtains about 87 percent of its electricity from renewable sources such as geothermal, hydro, solar and wind.

Hannington Gochi, a renewable energy expert at Kenya’s Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation, said the Garissa solar power plant, built by a Chinese company, has been connected to the Kenyan national grid and is gradually improving the production and living conditions of the people of the northern region of Kenya. The 55-megawatt solar power plant is the largest grid-connected solar power plant in East and Central Africa.

Elizabeth Wanjiku, a food stall owner in the northeastern Kenyan town of Garissa, said she had relied on generators in the past to run her business, especially to power a refrigerator where she stored food. “Thanks to the solar plant, the town is now connected to the national grid, and we experience fewer power outages and enjoy the benefits of more reliable power,” she told Xinhua.

Such initiatives, often supported by international partners such as China, are showing promising results. Zimbabwean economist Brains Muchemwa said Africa has benefited greatly from China’s burgeoning green energy industry by providing affordable green energy products such as solar panels and batteries.

Muchemwa told Xinhua recently that new green energy products have significantly improved the lives of many Africans, even as the West criticizes the growing production capacity of China’s green industry.

At the first Africa Climate Summit in September 2023, China announced it would launch the “Africa Solar Belt” program with 100 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars) to finance solar projects in regions not served by the main electricity grids. The program aims to support at least 50,000 families.

During the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a project was launched to promote more small, innovative and clean energy projects between China and Africa.

The project focuses primarily on small- and medium-sized solar projects in underdeveloped regions of Africa. Small-scale infrastructure such as microgrids can provide viable energy solutions in rural Africa and many other isolated regions around the world, according to Marco Lambertini, special envoy for the World Wide Fund for Nature.

PARTNER IN GREEN TRANSFORMATION

Africa is home to the largest number of developing countries. Success in its green transformation is key to creating a sustainable development ecosystem on a global scale.

Many African countries have made significant progress toward a green energy transition in a relatively short period of time. More than 70 percent of African countries have prioritized clean energy in their Nationally Determined Contributions. China has played a key role in this transition, leveraging its expertise in renewable technologies and providing affordable equipment.

From Kenya’s Garissa Solar Power Plant, the first large-scale solar power plant to harness the country’s vast solar energy resources, to South Africa’s De Aar Wind Farm, more than 100 green energy initiatives jointly led by China and Africa under the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation are supporting Africa’s green transformation.

Rhoda Wachira, head of the energy unit at the Africa office of the United Nations Environment Programme, said these partnerships are crucial as they enable African countries to access advanced technologies and financial support from China, which is crucial for the success of the energy transition.

Yang Baorong, a researcher at the China-Africa Institute, expressed a similar opinion, saying that China is providing Africa with high-quality and affordable green energy technologies and products, making them accessible to more Africans.

Yang said such green energy cooperation could turn Africa’s vast raw material potential into real economic growth.

“China is a reliable partner for Africa in the pursuit of high-quality green energy,” Yang said. “Africa and China can jointly overcome the challenges of climate change and move toward a cleaner, more sustainable and prosperous future.”■