Hydro power contributes to Africa’s energy needs with
around 32 %.
There is a huge potential for hydropower throughout Africa and only 4.3 % has yet been utilized. Nearly half of the existing plants are inoperative due to war damage, abandonment, lack of finance, lack of maintenance. Only 10 % of Africans have access to electricity. These 10 % are unevenly distributed with a concentration in a few countries. 82 % of electricity generation is in the Northern and Southern regions. From this follows that, with 450 kWh, Africa has the lowest annual per capita consumption in the world.
Until today approximately 20,300 MW are installed in Africa, of which 23 % are distributed in North Africa, 25 % in West Africa and 51 % in South/Central and Eastern Africa.
Hydropower projects are capital-intensive, one reason why African governments are not undertaking them as fast as they could. The deregulation and liberalization now taking place within the energy sectors of East African countries such as Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania aim especially at attracting private investors, who are also prepared to consider the development of small hydro power potential.
As a result, Voith Siemens Hydro has installed so far around 350 units with a total output of approximately 5,000 GW in Africa. These are only 2,6 % of the turbines installed by Voith Siemens Hydro worldwide. |
