African countries should implement an inclusive energy mix to protect their electricity networks from collapsing whenever they lose their main sources of energy, an energy expert said.

Didier Tela, the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) Director General, has urged the continent’s governments and leaders to resist the pressure to adopt a one-size fits-all approach by dumping conventional energy sources like coal in favour of solar.

He called for a just energy transition that considered technical advice and local conditions. Tela spoke at the Global Energy Association’s international conference in Port Louis, Mauritius, on Thursday, January 30.

He said APUA had no issues with solar power but wanted African nations to mix it with “robust” energy sources such as hydropower, coal and nuclear power to protect their electricity systems from collapsing. 

The Ivorian technocrat added that the continent could not be told to avoid its 10 billion tons of coal in the name of alternative energy sources while 600 million of its 1.3 billion citizens were without electricity.  

Under the theme, “Regional to Global: Africa”, the conference brought together scientists, energy experts, academics, students and policymakers from all over the world to highlight the role of developing countries in the world energy balance and share the experiences of different regions in promoting affordable and sustainable energy for all. 

The speakers included Professor Zi-Qiang Zhu, a renowned Chinese scientist from the University of Sheffield in the UK, Engineering Faculty Director at North-West University in South Africa, Professor Dmitri Bessarabov, University of Mauritius’ Energy Management Professor Khalil Elhabee, the president of Global Energy Association, Dr Sergey Brilev, Kenya Renewable Energy Association CEO Cynthia Angweya-Muhati, Zimbabwean solar company Sustenergy Pvt board member Swinage Chikwedze, and Ismael Adam Essackjee, the Manager for Transmission and Distribution at the Mauritian Central Energy Board. 

Speaking at a media briefing on the sidelines of the conference, Tela said APUA wanted African countries to implement inclusive and just energy transition in line with local conditions. Dr Brivel and Professor Bessarabov flanked Tela. 

Tela urged the developing regions to resist Western pressure to dump other energy sources in favour of solar energy. Instead, they should use conventional energy sources like fossil fuels and hydropower wisely and environmentally friendly. 

“For a time-being, all African countries will be using all available resources of energy as far as it’s being used wisely and environmentally friendly. We cannot afford saying that more than 10 billion tons of coal just will not be touched. This coal would be sent, let’s say to Europe or Australia to be used when the African people are sitting without electricity. We don’t urge anybody to go and develop coal today, but if it is a way to have a sustainable and just energy transition – yes,” said Tela. 

He commended Kenya for saving its electricity network from total collapse in 2019 after losing 300 megawatts of solar within 10 minutes. 

“A country like Kenya, in 2019, lost 300 megawatts in 10 minutes from Tokana Lake. Imagine, if the system had not had robust hydro and geothermal, all the systems of Kenya would have collapsed because they lost 300 megawatts in 10 minutes; that is wind. So the backup of the intermetal renewal energy is still the integration line.”

“We promote the integration of the power pool in Africa to have the stability of the network. If not, a country like Senegal reached 35% of renewal and the network is still balancing. Malawi has also received a problem with solar. So, yes, when somebody pushes solar, solar, the limit is your stability. When you reach stability, you must go according to your network. It’s a technical issue,” Tela added. 

Countries like Nigeria have had regular electricity systems collapse due to ageing infrastructure and higher demand. 

Tela also raised concerns about Malawi, saying the country had been experiencing solar energy problems. 

Professor Bessarabov said Africa should focus on inclusivity and affordability when deciding on energy sources. 

“Here in Africa, we should not just talk about conventional energy, but just energy transition, and just energy transition is inclusivity and affordability of energy. As you [Tela] said, 600 million people don’t have electricity. So, we are talking about domestic energy applications, and this energy mix should definitely be a hybrid.”

“In South Africa, for example, the regulation is only 500 watts per dwell. It’s very little, and you can get it from the rooftop installation. Then when you talk about geopolitics, there is a mismatch between solar resources and [the] consumption of renewable energy,” Professor Bessarabov said. 

He said developing regions understood the necessity of a just energy transition. However, the costs involved remained a problem. 

“Yes, I think countries and governments do understand the necessity from a technological point of view, because there is a multiple technological pathway to meet the goals of just energy transition. The first thing should be modularity. You can expand it as much as you want, and you can predict the cost of your expansion, you can predict the cost of energy storage when you need it, but when you build a nuclear power plant, and I am very nuclear, or a hydropower station, it would require huge capital investment, and affordability is a question,” he added. 

Professor Bessarabov stressed that a country like South Africa, which had huge inequalities, was responsible for providing basic services, including electricity. Until March 2023, South Africa had experienced a 15-year, crippling energy supply crisis that slowed down its economic growth and left citizens in the dark for up to eight hours a day.  

He added: “How you address that, you will need to provide basic needs for households, and that comes with a battery, a simple use of rooftop installations. Don’t forget that to approve the power installation, the grid may take up to 10 years for approval. The current grip is not necessarily capable to absorb large amounts of renewable energy.”

“So, the solution is mini-grids where there is a small community. They will never get the government approval to extend the grid to the rural areas. So, they have to do local, domestic, mini-grid and energy installations.”

Professor Bessarabov also urged the South African government to use unused land to install solar equipment and generate electricity for other parts of the country. 

“In South Africa, the Northern Cape Province has about 30% of the total land mark of the country, with only 2% of the population. So, there is a huge opportunity to put both portable tech and in some areas wind and supply electricity across the country. But then we talk about the tariffs, we talk about regulations, and when we talk about regulations, it’s not safety regulations.”

“It’s in fact more regulations in terms of carbon pricing regulation, in terms of forcing the end user to minimise the risk of investment, and South Africa does that. The IPPs, independent power producers, now there is liberation for private IPPs and independent power producers to start generating unlimited amounts of electricity through the tech installations,” Professor Bessarabov insisted. 

Dr Brilev, the President of the Global Energy Association, shared Tela and Professor Bessaravob’s sentiments, saying countries could not afford to apply universal rules to energy supply. 

“This is a delicate balance to which I was referring. You can’t apply universal rules. You have to look at the interests of the people. When you talk about it in the north, saying in Canada or Russia, Lithium is not the solution, why should we be coming to the South with things which are fashionable in the North, which will not work here or will not make energy less available and less affordable? This is the reason why we organise conferences like these, so we can listen to each other,” Dr Brivel said. 

When asked whether developing countries could afford to forgo fossil fuel, he said while solar and green energy were good for powering households, industrialisation required conventional energy.  

“You can’t guarantee sustainable and affordable energy supply without thinking of a viable mix. As of today, solar and green, God bless. But if you are thinking of industrial developments, fossil fuels at the moment are inevitable. But once again, the thing is, if you apply it, you have to be respectful and know how to mix business interests with respect.”

“Co2 capture is an expensive technology. But there are so many interesting new, ecologically friendly measures of burning the CO2-producing things. Even coal, not to mention natural gas, is not a menace. It should be treated in a smart way,” added Dr Brilev. 

Angweya-Muhati said the Kenyan Renewable Energy Association has encouraged innovation and adapted to new technology to provide affordable and sustainable energy.

She added that the sector worked closely with universities to source skills and innovative ideas from students and academics.

“We are encouraging innovation in many areas. In the past, we concentrated more on already-developed technologies, well-established organisations, etc. But we are now at a point where we say, ‘Let’s take a few steps back’. I have spoken about knowledge transfer,” Angweya-Muhati.

Angweya-Muhati added: “We are going back to the universities and seeing what we can get from students and academia in terms of what they are doing within the same space. As much as we are saying we would like funding, we would like to have new technologies coming or to adapt to new technologies. What can we do with what already exists, and what improvements can be made?”

She said the renewable energy sector embraces other energy sources, including nuclear energy and flouting reactors, to create partnerships and grow.

“I would not say that I am afraid of it, but I would also not like to undermine myself or ourselves. To have that mindset of saying anything is possible. Connect and go, fix and go, to get quick solutions, yes, that’s the starting point. But we are also saying, ‘I don’t want to be stuck where’. We want to grow,” she added.

Chikwedze said her start-up company had used innovative ideas and technology to successfully roll out affordable and sustainable renewal energy supply in Zimbabwe.

She added that Ravensus, Fuels and Energy also navigated strict regulatory frameworks and funding challenges to penetrate the market.

Mauritian businessman Dean Thomas, a hydropower expert and Teslas director, was among the speakers from the floor. He questioned African countries’ energy supply policies and priorities.

Thomas urged African leaders and heads of government to build cities next to the seas and rivers to secure affordable and sustainable hydropower energy.

Conference delegates urged all countries to honour their commitments to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.