Renewable energy will contribute 22 per cent of Africa’s total energy consumption by 2030. It noted that about 580 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lacked access to electricity in 2019. Africa faces a massive energy challenge, while noting that the continent is richly endowed with renewable energy sources. There was urgent need to accelerate the growth of renewable energy across the region to ensure sufficient, affordable, reliable energy supply for individuals, businesses, and communities. There is still a massive gap to be bridged, adding that the traditional energy infrastructure operation mode cannot meet the new challenges brought by the latest development in the digital world.
Africa an opportunity to harness its abundant potential of increasingly cost-competitive renewable energy to meet the growing demand for electricity and pursue a climate-friendly, needs-oriented power strategy. Renewable energy is much cheaper than fossil-fuel-based options, with a kilowatt-hour of solar power costing less than a Rand in South Africa. It is clear then, that solar power should and likely will play a large role in the world’s future power mix. In order to achieve this, Huawei is committed to introducing digital power solutions driven by digital technologies. Huawei’s smart PV solution has been deployed in more than 60 countries and regions and has generated more than 300 billion kWH of green electricity, powering millions of residents and hundreds of industries globally.