Renewable energy projects hold significant potential for Africa thanks to their vast resource potential in wind, solar, hydro, and geothermal energy.According to Duncan Bonnett, a partner at Africa House, a quantum of renewable energy projects can be found across sub-Saharan Africa. These projects, running into billions of dollars, are also not showing signs of slowing down, but rather increasing.Speaking at Cop 27, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, president of Ghana, said an increase in renewable energy projects could be expected in Africa as the continent continued to explore the options of hydrogen gas and other clean energy sources to meet its energy needs.It is, however, not just in the renewable sector where the African projects sector is set to boom, but in energy minerals as well.“If one looks at a map of Africa there is a broad area extending from Africa from the northern Cape through Botswana, parts of Namibia, up to Zimbabwe and right through to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) that is rich in energy minerals such as manganese, copper, cobalt and lithium,” said Bonnett. “These minerals are in high demand and there is a band of projects that are either happening already or taking off in response to this demand.”He said it was not just in southern Africa where projects were on the increase. “If one looks to West Africa there is a greenstone belt that extends from Senegal and Mauritania through to Mali, Niger, Burkino Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana and down to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone. There is a lot of mining activity taking place. Bauxite and iron ore mines are on the increase, but there are also projects involving diamonds and gold and, of course, the much sought-after energy minerals.”At the same time oil and gas projects were on the rise. “In Mozambique, despite its high levels of debt and the problems it has had with the opening of the first gas f lows from the offshore gas fields, there is a huge opportunity. By all accounts, we will see the big onshore projects start development early next year – a huge boost for the confidence of the country. These projects are massive and will be a game changer not just for the country but the region.”Bonnett said the investment in the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) was a clear indication that oil projects were just as important in Africa and would continue to play a role, despite calls to move away from fossil fuels. Plans are also in place to extend the existing gas pipeline that runs from Mutara to Dar es Salaam to Mombasa – and potentially Nairobi.In West Africa, momentum around the gas pipeline project crossing 13 countries is increasing and the project has reached the stage of detailed technical and engineering studies.“Countries across Africa like Namibia, where we have seen some huge oil finds, and Angola, Zambia and the DRC, are seeing ongoing investment in the oil sector. There is also a lot of development around green hydrogen taking place.
