Africa Could Be Locked Into Fossil Fuel Future, Warns New Report

Africa Could Be Locked Into Fossil Fuel Future, Warns New Report

A worker inspects photovoltaic solar panels in Thies, Senegal. But despite having abundant resources ... [+] for renewable energy, much of Africa is on track to drastically increase its use of fossil fuels, according to a new report.



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As wealthy countries go green and decarbonize their energy systems, African nations are locking in increasing greenhouse gas emissions as they strive to double energy production, potentially stalling global progress on climate action, a new study has warned.

Despite large parts of Africa being rich in renewable energy resources, fossil fuels such as coal and gas will continue to account for up to two thirds of the continent's electricity generation beyond 2030, with non-hydro renewable energy making up less than 10% of the mix, say the authors of a report from the University of Oxford, published today in the journal Nature Energy. 

The researchers used machine learning to analyze some 2,500 power plants being planned across Africa to determine the likelihood of the projects' success or failure. They found that by 2030, the continent's energy generation capacity could rise from 236 gigawatts to 472 gigawatts, with just 9.6% generated from renewable