Commercial wind power generation systems in Africa

What is wind energy potential in Africa?

Several African countries are adopting wind energy into the energy generation mix by building wind farms in their countries. Fig. 1 below depicts the technical potential of wind energy in Africa. The African continent is estimated to have onshore wind energy potential of 180,000 Terawatt hours (TWh) per year [20, 21].

Does Africa have a wind energy industry?

The wind energy industry in Africa is nascent. Several African countries are adopting wind energy into the energy generation mix by building wind farms in their countries. Fig. 1 below depicts the technical potential of wind energy in Africa.

Is wind energy a viable investment in Africa?

To evaluate the growth potential of the wind industry in Africa, the economic viability of wind power generation needs to be assessed. The cost of producing and selling the energy need to be economically profitable. Although globally, the general cost of wind energy has reduced to US$59 per MWh, the capital cost has not changed much.

Which African countries harness wind energy?

However, throughout the continent only countries such as Egypt [49, 50], Ethiopia [51, 52], Morocco [53, 54], South Africa , Kenya and Tunisia harness wind energy to an appreciable extent. Fig. 1. Renewable energy production (GWh) among leading African countries.

How can African governments drive wind energy development?

Basically, this can be achieved through the adoption of strong ‘political-will’ by African national governments to drive wind energy development. There is also the need for institutional frameworks to ensure the practical adoption of new wind energy technologies.

What is the current status of wind energy in Africa?

This paper presented the current status of wind energy on the African continent, analysing barriers such as the technical, economic, market, social, institutional and regulatory barriers. The analysis discovered that wind energy in Africa had grown rapidly from 0.74 GW in 2009 to 5.5 GW in 2018.