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Inga
Matala
Windhoek
Gabarone
Zaire
Kolwezi
Major existing lines
Major proposed or
possible power lines
Apollo Subs
Swaziland
Ruacana
Capanda
Where we want to go
Sub-Saharan Africa used about 440 TWh of electricity in 2012, of
which South Africa used almost exactly half – the rest of the region
used 224 TWh [1].
If we disregard South Africa, and calculate the needs of the
rest of the population of the region, with each citizen receiving
3 000 kWh per annum, then the region would need some 2 620 TWh.
In other words, in 2012 the region had a shortfall, relative to the world
average, of some 2 400 TWh, about ten times South Africa’s present
consumption.
At an 85% load factor, that means about 295 MW of base load
generation. This is the minimum generating capacity that needs to be
Botswana and Namibia have grown their output in recent years, and
today their citizens enjoy nearly 2 000 kWh/annum. In contrast, the
relative supply in Zambia and Zimbabwe has dropped, although it is
still above the average supply in the region. All other nations have less
than the regional average; the only remarkable feature is the surge
in the power available to Mozambicans after the mid-1990s. Angola,
Kenya and Nigeria have managed to grow their supply slightly, but
they are still, in world terms, extremely short of power. Globally, the
average citizen enjoys the benefits of about 3 000 kWh per annum.
Only South Africa is above the global average. It seems a reasonable
target that the region should strive to have as much power as the
world average. Let us examine what that would require.
Figure 4: Power transmission in Southern Africa.
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ENERGY EFFICIENCY MADE SIMPLE 2015