This collection aims to provide a reference for policy makers and practitioners working to scale up bioenergy in rural areas of sub-Saharan Africa. Energy, agriculture, forestry, environment, finance and business experts all seek for solutions to provide energy and also enhance food security, social welfare and environmental sustainability.
This study aims to estimate the potential for sustainable bioenergy production in Africa through such systems, based on the evaluation of yields for 15 short-rotation woody crops.
Low-cost renewable energy, especially from solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, has become an increasingly important part of West Africa’s electricity supply. This report outlines three broad scenarios for the growth of renewables in the region’s power systems, particularly in relation to key national and regional targets.
Auctions can help countries across sub-Saharan Africa achieve record-low prices for solar and wind power. Five countries have run renewable energy auctions, while at least 15 more are developing such programmes.
This report offers detailed estimates of the biomass resource potential in Ghana, Mozambique, Nigeria, South Africa and Uganda. With conversion to advanced liquid biofuels, sustainable biomass feedstock could potentially meet or exceed the five countries’ combined fuel needs for transport in 2050, according IRENA estimates.
This report provides a region-wide pre-feasibility assessment of solar and wind opportunities in West Africa, for both grid connected and off-grid systems.
The historic Paris climate agreement, adopted by countries around the world in December 2015, aims to the rise of global temperature well below 2 degrees Celsius. Renewable energy will play a key role in this effort, which encompasses developing as well as developed countries, by increasing the supply of cheap and accessible energy in a less carbon-intensive manner.
Sustainable biofuels have an important role to play in Africa’s development. Sugarcane bioethanol is currently the most cost-effective commercial biofuel and has the highest energy balance.
The report discusses challenges in policy making and proposes a co-ordinated effort to collect data on the installed costs of solar PV in Africa, across all market segments to improve the efficiency of policy support and accelerate deployment.
Ghana has one of Africa’s highest rates of access to electricity. In 2014 this was estimated at 72%, with over 87% in urban areas and nearly 50% in rural areas. The country also exports power to its neighbours, Togo, Benin and Burkina Faso. The Ghanaian power industry is unbundled, comprising generation utilities, transmission and distribution companies, and independent power...