Renewables Initiatives in Africa Selected Case Studies of Mitigation by Stephen Karekezi African Ene

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Renewables Initiatives in Africa - Selected Case
Studies of Mitigationby Stephen Karekezi
African Energy Policy Research Network
(AFREPREN)afrepren_at_africaonline.co.kewww.afre
pren.org

• UNFCCC Workshop on Climate Change Mitigation

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Renewed Interest in Renewables in Africa

• Increasing oil prices pressure on convertible
  currency reserves (40/barrel)

• Attractive job generation (unemployment/under
  employment rates 50-60), technological
  development enterprise creation potential of
  renewables

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Renewed Interest in Renewables in Africa

• Rio Conference/Climate Change Convention
• Johannesburg WSSD Conference
• Bonn 2004 Renewables Conference
• Decision makers rarely want to be 1st, prefer to
  be 2nd or even better, 3rd
• Growing importance of renewables in
  industrialized countries such as Austria, Germany
  (renewable energy industry has over 100,000
  employees), Iceland and Denmark
• Success stories in selected African countries
  (Kenya Mauritius)

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Geothermal - Kenya

• Large potential along the great Rift Valley
  (9,000MW - hot water/steam option only)
• Significant exploitation, largely in Kenya
• Large potential for grid-connected electricity
  generation from geothermal in Ethiopia, Tanzania
  and Uganda

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Geothermal Energy Use
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Limitations of Geothermal

• Region-specific Not available in all regions but
  non-hot water/steam option available throughout
  the world
• High up-front drilling costs - equivalent to that
  of oil wells but lower risk
• Cost competitive - least cost power development
  option for Kenya and cost even lower if heat
  application included

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Benefits of Geothermal

• Security of supply - Close to 100 availability
  Not affected by climatic changes such as drought
  strengthens system balance
• Recent drought in Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia
  led to 8 hour power cuts resulting in close to 1
  drop in GDP
• Attractive heat applications potential - Reduces
  poverty through rural jobs and enterprise
  creation
• Technology development - Kenya offering technical
  support to neighboring countries in a few cases
  participated in technical missions to
  industrialized countries
• Equitable negotiation - Geothermal industry
  composed of small to medium sized companies which
  allows developing Governments to negotiate
  equitable arrangements

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Co-generation Mauritius Combined Heat and Power
(CHP)

• Substantial potential in agro forest-based
  industries, e.g. sugar, paper and pulp, wood and
  rice industries
• Most sugar industries currently practicing
  co-generation for own use

• Grid-connected co-generation not widespread in
  the region
• Successful in Mauritius (40 of power supply of
  which 25 bagasse)
• Promising developments in Uganda, Kenya and
  Tanzania

Power Generation - Mauritius
Sugar Industry
Others
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Limitations of Co-generation

• Intermittent biomass feedstock - Can be addressed
  through dual-fuel boilers
• Fixing price of co-generated power - Need
  pro-active and balanced Government or regulatory
  intervention to fix price agreeable to key
  stakeholders
• Need a robust agro or forest industry However,
  co-generation can improve viability of agro or
  forest industry

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Benefits of Co-generation

• Cost-competitive - combined cost of heat
  electricity very low
• Local resource and strengthens system balance-
  security of supply and enhances rural energy
  service
• Reduces in poverty - attractive job generation
  (at the sugar cane plantation level) and
  enterprise creation potential (local technology
  development)
• Can lead to equitable sharing of benefits
  Mauritius case
• Incremental and modular - can start small (1 or
  2MW investment to 50-70MW installations) which
  lowers initial risks and facilitates local
  participation

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Potential (Low Case) Bagasse-Based Cogeneration
( of current installed power generation
capacity)
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Self Sustaining Small Scale Renewable Industry
lt1 of Electricity Bill
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Abundant Renewable Energy Resources in Africa
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Key Challenge

• Articulate a convincing policy case for
  renewables aimed at Ministries of Finance,
  Ministries of Energy Utilities
• Focus on technological and economically proven
  renewables with near-term tangible benefits
• Energy security vis a vis fluctuating oil prices
  and drought related hydro shortages
• Enterprise creation
• Jobs
• Local technological development
• Exploit existing and planned climate-related
  financing opportunities