World electricity demand is accelerating fast, according to the IEA. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Growth in global energy demand surged in 2024 to almost twice its recent average, according to International Energy Agency (IEA) data, providing solid demand fundamentals for the further growth of Africa’s natural resources sector

The latest edition of IEA’s Global Energy Review, shows that world energy demand rose by 2.2% last year – lower than combined GDP growth of 3.2%, but considerably faster than the average annual demand increase of 1.3% between 2013 and 2023.

Although it did not reference Africa, the report stated that emerging and developing economies accounted for over 80% of the increase in global energy demand during 2024.

This was despite slower growth in China, where energy consumption rose by less than 3%, half its 2023 rate and well below the country’s recent annual average.

It suggests that demand growth in territories such as Africa, and other emerging economies globally, proved robust over the past 12 months.

The acceleration in demand growth was led by the power sector, the IEA noted, with global electricity consumption surging by nearly 1,100 terawatt-hours, or 4.3%.

It said this was driven by record global temperatures, which boosted demand for cooling in many countries, as well as by rising consumption from industry, the electrification of transport and the growth of data centres and artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, oil demand grew more slowly, rising by 0.8% in 2024.

Oil’s share of total energy demand fell below 30% for the first time ever, 50 years after it peaked at 46%.

“What is certain is that electricity use is growing rapidly, pulling overall energy demand along with it to such an extent that it is enough to reverse years of declining energy consumption in advanced economies,” said IEA executive director Fatih Birol.

“The result is that demand for all major fuels and energy technologies increased in 2024, with renewables covering the largest share of the growth, followed by natural gas.”

Birol also said that the strong expansion of solar, wind, nuclear power and electric vehicles is increasingly “loosening the links” between economic growth and emissions.

Even demand in advanced economies is rising again after years of declines, the report noted, with rapid growth of electricity worldwide driving up consumption of renewables, gas, coal and nuclear.

It provides a positive outlook generally for Africa’s natural resources sector and exports of both oil and natural gas, as well as metals and minerals supplying clean technologies around the world.

Overall, fossil fuels still made up nearly 60% of 2024 electricity generation, though IEA noted that the power mix is evolving.

It noted that hydropower installations more than doubled to over 25 GW citing the commissioning of large projects in Africa, China and southeast Asia.

IEA also flagged an uptick in nuclear construction starts in 2024, exclusively using Chinese and Russian designs, with Egypt launching commencing work on about 5 GW of potential power.

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Leading the electrification of Africa

Ratnakar Vandanapu, business unit head at Mitsumi Distribution. (Image source: Schneider Electric)

Schneider Electric, a global leader in energy management and automation, has appointed Mitsumi Distribution as an official distributor for its Secure Power solutions in East Africa

This partnership will enhance Schneider Electric’s regional presence, giving channel partners increased access to its power resilience solutions amid growing demand for data centres and digital infrastructure.

Powering East Africa?

Mitsumi Distribution, headquartered in Kenya, operates across Pan-Africa and the Middle East with nearly 30 years of experience. The company has a strong track record in enterprise, volume, and telecom distribution, managing 45 vendor partnerships across 36 countries. Having previously partnered with APC, a brand acquired by Schneider Electric in 2007, Mitsumi is well-positioned to support the expansion of Schneider Electric’s Secure Power portfolio across Africa’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

As East Africa continues to invest in ICT infrastructure, reliable power solutions remain a key requirement. Schneider Electric’s Secure Power portfolio meets this demand with a comprehensive range of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS), cooling systems, and edge computing solutions.

Ratnakar Vandanapu, business unit head at Mitsumi Distribution, expressed, “We are excited to expand our partnership with Schneider Electric, bringing industry-leading Secure Power solutions to the East African channel marketplace. Our deep market expertise, strong logistical capabilities, and established relationships with over 3,200 reseller partners make us well-positioned to support the growing need for reliable power solutions in the region.”

Ben Selier, vice-president, of secure power, Anglophone Africa at Schneider Electric, said, “Schneider Electric is committed to enabling the digital transformation of East Africa through sustainable and resilient power solutions. Partnering with Mitsumi Distribution allows us to efficiently serve customers in the region with our innovative Secure Power portfolio, ensuring uptime and business continuity for critical infrastructures.”

With a modern 100,000-square-foot logistics hub in Jebel Ali, Dubai, and a robust network of partners, Mitsumi Distribution is set to enhance the availability and deployment of Schneider Electric’s Secure Power solutions across East Africa.

Mini grids to boost Eritrean energy access. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Eritrea has signed an agreement with the African Development Bank (AfDB) for US$19.5mn worth of grant funding for an innovative 12MW desert power project

The so-called Desert to Power Eritrea 12MW Mini Grid Project will support the rollout of mini-grids that across the regions of Teseney (6MW), Kerekebet (3MW), and Barentu (3MW).

The scheme is expected to provide improved energy access to more than 235,000 Eritreans, supporting residential households, small-scale farms, agro-processing zones and water supply systems.

It will also benefit over 160 schools and 90 health centres in the country’s Gash Barka region, the AfDB said in a statement.

Eritrea’s minister of finance and national development, Dr Ghiorghish Teklemichae, signed the agreement on behalf of the government, alongside the AfDB’s deputy director general for East Africa, Dr Léandre Bassole.

“We are proud to say that Africa is working with Africa to bring change to Africa,” Teklemichae said during the signing ceremony. “This is for the good of our people and we are ready to work with you.”

The project will be implemented by the national Ministry of Energy, the Eritrea Electricity Corporation (EEC) and local companies under the supervision and guidance of a design and engineering technical consulting firm to be contracted.

To build local capacity and ensure project sustainability, 25 local companies will be trained and equipped with tools and machinery.

“Our main objective is that we will accompany countries to drive their own development,” said Bassole.

“Capacity building and knowledge transfer are critical to the success of the project’s implementation. This will be a continuous process.”

The project is aligned with the bank’s country strategy for Eritrea, which prioritises developing quality and sustainable infrastructure to support agricultural value-chains for economic diversification and structural transformation.

It also advances the objectives of the 2018 Eritrea National Energy Policy, which aims to increase electrification rates and ensure renewable energy contributes 20% of electric power by 2030.

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Luapula is seen as a key link in the Southern Africa Power Pool. (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Tenders are up for grabs to conduct a bankable feasibility study for the proposed Luapula hydropower project

Located on the Luapula river, which straddles Zambia and the south-eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the project has been in the planning for years.

It consists of hydropower plants and transmission line construction at three sites Mumbotuta, Mambilima, and Mambilima with an estimated total installed capacity of 789 MW and is regarded as a key link in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

This week, SAPP announced that it had received grant funding to support technical and economic feasibility studies and was on the lookout for consultants for the provision of a bankable feasibility study, conceptual design, and separate tender documents for each country for the hydropower stations and transmission lines.

It stated that the financing was from NEPAD Infrastructure Project Preparation Facility (NEPAD-IPPF) and the Multilateral Cooperation Centre for Development Finance (MCDF), with the African Development Bank (AfDB) as its supervising entity in the administration of the grant money.

Expressions of interest for the feasibility work are to be delivered via the SAPP’s Johannesburg office by 28 March 2025.

A separate feasibility study is also up for grabs to explore the environmental and social impact assessment of the project and draw up a resettlement action plan.

The new consultancy and feasibility contracts bring the prospect of Luapula hydropower closer to reality after many years in the making.

The DRC and Zambian governments signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the joint development of generation projects in the Luapula River Basin and a new power interconnector between the two countries back in 2015.

The area’s potential for hydropower was first noted in the 1970s, however.

It was later identified as a priority project in the SAPP Pool Plan of 2017.

The Luapula River runs in south-central Africa forming a boundary between the southern DRC and northern Zambia for about 560 km of its course.

The river rises in the Bangweulu Swamps, one of the world’s largest wetlands, lying east of Lake Bangweulu in eastern Zambia, then descends into a series of falls and runs into Lake Mweru in Tanzania.

In 2021, US$2.5mn was spent on feasibility studies, notably to examine the Mumbotuta site, on behalf of the DRC and Zambian state power utilities, SNEL and ZESCO.

According to the AfDB, the project will also facilitate integration with the Kolwezi-Solwezi transmission interconnector  project, the Mozambique-Zambia interconnector and the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya (ZTK) transmission interconnector (via the ZESCO network).

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