World Bank fund investigation into Africa’s renewable energy potential

Experts at DNV GL, the world’s largest resource of independent energy experts, are investigating the renewable energy potential in Zambia, Tanzania, and the Maldives.

Under the Energy Sector Management Assessment Program (ESMAP), funded by the World Bank, the project aims to reveal the true extent of wind energy production potential in each of the three countries.

Currently, the Zambian government estimates that only 1-3% of the rural population has access to electricity. The Maldives is entirely reliant upon imported energy with large distances between the inhabited islands and the mainland, making energy transport costs very high.

As a result, the potential of renewable energy resources in these regions is largely unknown.

Daran Rife, DNV GL’s Global Head of Mesoscale Modelling commented: “The potential of renewable resources in these regions is not yet well understood and they don’t currently have the means or expertise to get better insight.

“The idea behind these projects is to discover the potential of renewables in these countries, with all key outputs and datasets being made publicly available through the Global Atlas for Renewable Energy that is being developed by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

“The governments of these countries will be able to use our maps to develop policies and strategies for wind energy. The maps are also an important tool for attracting investors and developers, who have thus far been reluctant to invest in the region. By creating these maps, we have removed a major risk obstacle for them.”

DNV will set up workshops to train professionals to interpret the wind atlases. Workshops will also be held for government officials, decision makers, and other stakeholders.

In the second phase, DNV will train professionals to set up and maintain wind masts for collecting wind potential data over a period of two years.

The final phase will include creating a redefined and validated meso-micro wind atlas in the three countries, and combining the collected data with real-life figures.

“The shared vision and path breaking work that DNV GL and the World Bank is demonstrating with these projects will help governmental stakeholders and developers understand the true renewable energy resources and help drive vital overseas investment in the region,” David Walker, CEO, DNV GL, Energy added.

Another important and highly successful project completed under ESMAP was the study of solar concentrated power potential in Morocco.

The results of the project led to the construction of one of the largest concentrated solar power projects in the world. The power plant at Ouarzazate is expected to have an installed capacity of 2 gigawatts by 2020.