This area of power production has been largely ignored in Zimbabwe with little research or development taking place. Geothermal power has the advantage of being reliable, renewable and non-polluting. In addition, it takes up much less space than solar or wind powered farms.

Zimbabwe has a number of hot springs, particularly around Binga and in Manicaland. Hot water naturally bubbles up to the surface without any investment in drilling or processing. The steam generated can be used to generate electrical and mechanical energy. It is totally undamaging to the environment and non-polluting. The United Nations Environment Programme has estimated that there’s huge potential for power generation in this field. Why has it not been explored and developed more?

Zimbabwe is blessed with abundant natural resources for power production which will make us much less reliant on non-renewable fossil fuels. If developed renewable energy production will mean power supplies will be more consistent, cheaper and less polluting. Let’s look at renewables for a brighter future.

TODAY’S GLOBAL ENERGY CRISIS HAS UNDERSCORED THE URGENCY, AS WELL AS THE BENEFITS, OF AN ACCELERATED SCALE-UP OF CHEAPER AND CLEANER SOURCES OF ENERGY

The Russo-Ukrainian War has sent food, energy and other commodity prices soaring, increasing the strains on African economies which are still reeling from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. The overlapping crises are affecting many parts of Africa’s energy systems, including reversing positive trends in improving access to modern energy, with 4% more people living without electricity in 2021 than in 2019. They are also deepening financial difficulties of utilities, increasing risks of blackouts and rationing. These problems are contributing to a sharp increase in extreme poverty in sub-Saharan Africa, with the number of people affected by food crises quadrupling in some areas.

Africans are already unduly experiencing the negative effects of climate change, including water stress, reduced food production, increased frequency of extreme weather events and lower economic growth – all of which are fueling mass migration and regional instability. More than any other part of the world, Africa is already facing more severe climate change than most other parts of the world, despite bearing the least responsibility for the problem. With nearly one-fifth of the world’s population today, Africa accounts for less than 3% of the world’s energy-related carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to date and has the lowest emissions per capita of any region.

For all of these difficulties, the global clean energy transition holds new promise for Africa’s economic and social development. As of May 2022, countries representing more than 70% of global CO2 emissions have committed to reach net zero emissions by around mid-century. This includes 12 African countries that represent over 40% of the continent’s total CO2 emissions. These ambitions are helping set a new course for the global energy sector amid declining clean technology costs and shifting global investment. African countries – nearly all of which are party to the Paris Agreement on Climate Change – are poised to capture the technology spillovers of these changes and attract increasing flows of climate finance.

This Outlook explores a Sustainable Africa Scenario (SAS) in which Africa rides these shifting tides to achieve all African energy-related development goals on time and in full. This includes universal access to modern energy services by 2030 and the full implementation of all African climate pledges. Realising all of these goals is a formidable undertaking. African countries need to take the lead with clear strategies and policies, while international institutions must reinforce their commitment to significantly increase their levels of support.

Energy access

Universal access to affordable electricity, achieved by 2030 in the SAS, requires bringing connections to 90 million people a year, triple the rate of recent years. At present, 600 million people, or 43% of the total population, lack access to electricity, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Countries such as Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda are on track for full access by 2030, offering success stories other countries can follow. Our detailed analysis shows that extending national grids is the least costly and most prudent option for almost 45% of those gaining access to 2030. In rural areas, where over 80% of the electricity-deprived live, mini-grids and stand-alone systems, mostly solar based, are the most viable solutions.

From Energy & Power Insider 1