Design and Optimization of a Microgrid System With Integrated Renewable Energy Sources for Sub-Saharan Africa

The International Energy Agency states that access to electricity is an essential condition for sustainable human development, however, it is estimated that approximately 22% of the world population (about 1.6 billion people) does not have access to electricity, a significant part of these people live in rural areas of developing countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, despite the fact that Africa has enormous potential in renewable and non-renewable energy sources. In Mozambique, approximately 50% of the population does not have access to electricity due to the fact that 66.6% of the population lives in rural areas, where the rate of access to electricity is even worse, paradoxically, Mozambique has a significant potential for renewable energy sources equivalent to 23 TW, this potential when combined with factors such as commitment to ensuring access to electricity for all, forecast of population growth and electricity demand, generates huge investment and long term business opportunities in the electricity sector, however, there are economic, social and cultural challenges that constitute uncertainties that should be considered in the decision-making process for investment in rural electrification infrastructure in the specific context of Mozambique and Sub-Saharan Africa in general. This article aims to discuss the possibilities that Mozambique has to guarantee access to electricity for all by 2030 (emanating from United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7) emphasizing land use plans and education for rural electrification benefits through the use of renewable energy sources.

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Chinese-Funded Electricity Generation in Sub-Saharan Africa and Implications for Public Debt and Transition to Renewable Energy

10.19088/ids.2021.063 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Seife Ayele ◽

Vianney Mutyaba

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Public Debt ◽

Electricity Generation ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Debt Burden ◽

Competitive Model ◽

Sub Saharan ◽

Investment Portfolios

While China has been increasingly contributing to the recent growth in electricity generation in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), the effects of China-funded investment on host countries’ debt burden and transition to renewable energy sources have not been sufficiently explored. Drawing on secondary data, combined with deep dive studies of Ethiopia and Uganda, this paper shows that despite significant liberalisation of the power sector in SSA, Chinese investments in the electricity industry continue to follow state-led project contract-based models. We show that this approach has failed to encourage Chinese firms to build compelling investment portfolios for competitive procurements within the region and, instead and inadvertently, it has exacerbated the debt burden of host country governments. Second, in spite of the global drive towards climate resilient energy generation, Chinese funding of electricity generation in SSA is not sufficiently channelled towards modern renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power that could reduce vulnerability to climate change. While recognising that the private sector-led competitive model of power generation is not without limitations, we argue that SSA’s electricity generation strategy that leads to less public debt and more climate resilience involves increased involvement of Chinese investment in the competitive model, with more diversification of such investment portfolios towards modern renewables such as wind and solar energy resources.

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On the Systematic Design and Optimization under Uncertainty of a Hybrid Power Generation System Using Renewable Energy Sources and Hydrogen Storage

Computer Aided Chemical Engineering - 20th European Symposium on Computer Aided Process Engineering ◽

10.1016/s1570-7946(10)28152-x ◽

2010 ◽

pp. 907-912 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

G. Giannakoudis ◽

A.I. Papadopoulos ◽

P. Seferlis ◽

S. Voutetakis

Keyword(s):

Power Generation ◽

Renewable Energy ◽

Hydrogen Storage ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Optimization Under Uncertainty ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Systematic Design ◽

Design And Optimization ◽

Hybrid Power ◽

Power Generation System

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Renewable Energy Sources for the Present and Future: An Alternative Power Supply for Nigeria

Energy and Earth Science ◽

10.22158/ees.v2n2p18 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 2 (2) ◽

pp. p18

Author(s):

Ebuete Abinotami Williams ◽

Raimi Morufu Olalekan ◽

Ebuete Ibim Yarwamara ◽

Oshatunberu Modupe

Keyword(s):

Renewable Energy ◽

Natural Gas ◽

Alternative Energy ◽

Fossil Fuel ◽

Renewable Energy Sources ◽

Sub Saharan Africa ◽

Energy Sources ◽

Policy Dialogue ◽

Economic Sectors ◽

Wide Range

It is estimated that at least 600 million people in Africa lack access to electricity and three out of five people don’t have access to electricity in Sub-Saharan Africa. Though Africa is rich in a wide range of energy resources including solar, bio, natural gas, oil, coal and Uranium, the continent is far from energy self-sufficiency. Addressing climate change will require deep and quick reductions in fossil fuel use so that the systems developed around producing, transporting, and consuming energy are decarbonized by the middle of the century. In the ongoing age, sustainable power source has taken another swing to limelight on the planet, particularly in developed and emerging nations, as it assumes a noteworthy part both in economy and the general job of the world. Significantly, Nigeria an oil-rich country, comes as no surprise that almost all of her energy consumption comes from non-renewable energy sources as coal, natural gas and oil, and as such it is highly vulnerable to shocks due to overdependence on the fossil sources; often time is controlled by the international market. On the whole, the fossil fuel is expected to span only but a millennium (1700-2700) of human civilization while the imperative of an energy shortage situation is felt in every sector of the country considering the poor electricity consumptions in the country, which has reflected on the country’s economy and productivity rate. In revamping the economic sectors in Nigeria, the need for an alternative energy sources that is augmentable in supply keeping in view sustainable development as the hallmark for all sector development. Thus far, Nigeria ought to likewise be opened to universal investments as this would help support the improvement of its assets. This paper, therefore, supports no other sources but renewable energy in promoting the countries productivity at all segments. It further stressed on the implementation of the country’s Renewable Energy Master Plan (REMP) to meet global competitors by the year 2030. Similarly, senior political figures, policymakers and CEOs should engage in a policy dialogue by identifying unique opportunities and best practices for developing and investing in Nigeria and in Africa’s energy markets for “…without this energy supply, the sophisticated skills of the industrial world are merely a burden in the struggle for survival.”

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