AfDB's desert to power project to bring energy to underserved African regions

Photo: Courtesy of AfDB

AfDB President, Dr. Akinwumi Adesina sees Desert to Power as the "baobab" project of the Bank, given its large scale, scope, and impact on people's lives and the economy

By Guardian Reporter , The Guardian

THE African Development Bank (AfDB) initiative known as 'Desert to Power' spans across 11 countries in the Sahelian belt and aims to provide sustainable energy solutions, positively impacting the lives of 250 million people by delivering 10 gigawatts of solar power by the year 2030

A statement released yesterday and shared with this journalist reveals that the driving force behind one of the world's most ambitious energy projects is the Desert to Power initiative. This initiative aims to bring energy to one of the least developed and most marginalized parts of the continent.

 The transformative and bold effort seeks to harness the vast, sun-drenched Sahel region in Africa, one of the most vulnerable regions globally, and turn it into a solar energy powerhouse. The initiative targets 11 countries: Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, and Sudan.

 By harnessing the immense solar potential of the region, Desert to Power aims to generate 10 gigawatts of solar power by 2030, providing electricity access to 250 million people.

 This groundbreaking project, conceived by Bank President Dr. Akinwumi Adesina, is referred to as the Bank's "baobab." Dr. Adesina described Desert to Power as a transformative project that will require collective efforts to bring about meaningful change, emphasizing its importance during a COP meeting.

 Last December, the Bank approved the 225 kV Mauritania-Mali Power Interconnection and related Solar Power Plants Development Project (PIEMM) which is a priority operation under that Desert to Power Initiative.

 The project will help develop regional electricity trade in the Sahel, allow Mali to import about 600 GWh of electricity from renewable energy sources from Mauritania each year and enable both Mali and Mauritania to increase their national electricity access rate and to improve the performance of their electricity sub-sector by reducing fuel consumption, and shutting down several generators with exorbitant operating costs thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

 Ultimately, the project is expected to connect 100,000 new households (80,000 in Mauritania and 20,000 in Mali).

 The initiative presents a major step along the way to solving Africa’s critical energy access issues and reducing dependence on fossil fuels like heavy fuel oil. These are key drivers of environmental fragility in the region, worsening climate warming behind many of the dramatic weather events now regularly hitting the continent.

The Bank has also successfully leveraged climate finance from international sources like the Green Climate to blend with the Bank’s own resources to support the Desert to Power initiative.

Additionally, the Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), the Bank’s largest in-house blended finance facility with commitments of over US $500 million from 10 donors, including Denmark, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Germany, the Nordic Development Fund, and the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, is providing catalytic capital for private sector projects across the Desert to Power countries and beyond.

As of today, the desert-to-Power portfolio counts 10 investment projects and over 15 technical passistance operations across 7 of the 11 countries of operation.

The initiative has drawn plaudits from policy makers, diplomats, politicians and media commentators.

The authoritative British newspaper the Financial Times (FT) recently hailed it as a showcase example of imaginative development projects of the type Africa needs to engage its populations and prevent regional unrest exploited by anti-state actors.

In an article, endorsed by its editorial board, the FT called on Western governments to back the project along with similar initiatives directed at improving people’s daily lives. Development brings stability, it argued.

The initiative is part of a broader effort to transition Africa towards more sustainable energy sources, helping mitigate deforestation and its associated impacts.

In Africa, deforestation is a significant issue, with an area equivalent to the size of Switzerland being cleared of forest annually, largely for cooking and heating purposes. This loss of forest exacerbates dust storms, disrupts rain patterns, and accelerates desertification, posing severe threats to biodiversity and local climates.

The Bank’s investment in solar energy is crucial for several reasons. Firstly, reliable and affordable energy is essential for reducing reliance on charcoal, which is not only a leading cause of deforestation, but also an expensive option for many households. The continent's rapid population growth has intensified energy demands, with the population doubling and doubling again to at least 1.2 billion, nearly half of whom lack access to electricity.

While there are ongoing reforestation projects in countries like Kenya, Congo, Madagascar, and Malawi, the rate of forest loss far outpaces these efforts. The immediate need is to electrify the continent quickly, choosing sustainable energy sources such as solar, wind, and hydro over more harmful fossil fuels.

Africa's potential for renewable energy is vast but largely untapped. The continent has an almost unlimited solar capacity (11 TW), significant hydro resources (350 GW, with only between five and six percent currently harnessed), wind power (110 GW, with only two percent utilized), and geothermal energy sources (15 GW).

Despite this potential, 600 million people in Africa live without access to electricity. The continent accounts for just six percent of global energy demand and slightly over three percent of electricity demand. This underscores the importance of scaling up renewable energy investments to meet the continent's energy needs sustainably.

From 2016 to 2022, the AfDB approved US $8.3 billion in energy commitments, with 87 percent directed towards renewable energy projects. This investment has already generated 3.4 GW of electricity, including 2.6 GW from renewable sources.

The Bank is also developing an African Green Mineral Strategy to capitalize on the continent's abundant critical minerals, such as cobalt, manganese, and platinum, which are essential for facilitating the energy transition. the entire Sahel region and forever changing the face of one of Africa’s most neglected areas.