PROJECTS: North African nations set to become major solar power producers: report

PROJECTS: North African nations set to become major solar power producers: report

North African countries have made big strides in their plans to expand reliance on renewable energy and most of them are set to join the league of countries with an installed solar power of at least 1 GW.  Egypt is the only North African country to have crossed this mark but Algeria and Morocco are on their way to join the club which currently groups 37 nations, according to the African Solar Industry Association (AFSIA).  In its 2021 report released this week, AFSIA, based in Kigali, Rwanda, said that to date around 700 gigawatts (GW) of photovoltaic power have been installed worldwide.  Overall, 37 countries across the world have already installed more than 1 GW of solar but only two African states - South Africa and Egypt - are among those countries.  “This is very little, but it may soon change as different African countries have developed a growing appetite for solar recently,” the report said.  It said that Algeria, with a 4 GW pipeline, is a major contender for the gigawatt club. With new institutions and officials in place, it is reasonable to expect that this plan or part of it will finally be moving forward and will see the gas-rich country move very quickly