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Cape Town - The African continent has incredible potential in terms of power generation. There are also a multitude of problems in terms of investment, generation and transmission.
The potential, the possibilities for the future, and the problems and how they may be overcome will feature over the three-day Power-Gen Africa conference that started in Cape Town in Monday.
But while there has been much talk in South Africa in recent months about the potential of the Inga scheme on the Congo River west of Kinshasa, this does not seem to feature specifically. However, this scheme, first mooted more than 50 years ago, has the potential to provide enough hydro power to supply all of the continent’s needs.
The probem with this fundamentally ecologically sound scheme - a single generation plant was built in 1971 and is still partially operating - is not only cost, but transmission. To convey power across some of the most politically unstable areas of Africa seems, at this stage, too problematic.
However, on the alternative front, wind and solar generation are certain to get more than a look-in at the conference.
Technological advances in terms of smart-grid development and the best means of integrating decentralised generation will also be a major feature, along with rural electrification.
- Fin24
The potential, the possibilities for the future, and the problems and how they may be overcome will feature over the three-day Power-Gen Africa conference that started in Cape Town in Monday.
But while there has been much talk in South Africa in recent months about the potential of the Inga scheme on the Congo River west of Kinshasa, this does not seem to feature specifically. However, this scheme, first mooted more than 50 years ago, has the potential to provide enough hydro power to supply all of the continent’s needs.
The probem with this fundamentally ecologically sound scheme - a single generation plant was built in 1971 and is still partially operating - is not only cost, but transmission. To convey power across some of the most politically unstable areas of Africa seems, at this stage, too problematic.
However, on the alternative front, wind and solar generation are certain to get more than a look-in at the conference.
Technological advances in terms of smart-grid development and the best means of integrating decentralised generation will also be a major feature, along with rural electrification.
- Fin24
