Africa is expected to overtake Europe in geothermal capacity by 2030.
Financial and commercial advisory service provider Greencrowd Partnership LLP has explored the potential of geothermal energy in southern Africa as Kalahari GeoEnergy Limited’s Bweengwa River project continues to progress
In a report titled ‘Geothermal in Zambia: Energy Beyond Power’, Greencrowd made reference to the three key challenges facing the southern African country today – an overreliance on hydropower generation (which fuels 85% of its electricity); low levels of energy access (31% of the population has access); and an unmet energy deficit (estimated at approximately 500MW).
The first of these challenges is one exacerbated by the climate emergency; severe droughts have a disastrous effect on the country’s ability to generate hydropower for instance. The resulting loadshedding (exemplified in March this year when low water levels in the Kafue and Zambezi basins led to power utility ZESCO to commence eight-hour daily loadshedding) brings even greater hardship on the population. Indeed, the Greencrowd research pointed to the knock-on effect on jobs and livelihoods, with more than half of the Zambian population thought to be living below the poverty line.
That is not to say the situation is hopeless. The paper outlined the severity of situation before referencing the brightening broader financial situation of the country (which recently signed an in-principle agreement with international bondholders and is working to restructure its debt) and the enactment of energy policy and regulatory framework that is highly conducive to investment in the energy sector.
More hope can be found in the near-limitless potential of geothermal power. Offering clean, reliable and stable baseload power and the ability to efficiently heat and cool homes, factories and other facilities (such as data centres) the Greencrowd research suggested it could be ‘the answer’ to the country’s energy challenges, and one that is unaffected by external weather forces.
“Geothermal is the only fully renewable resource. Producing zero carbon, with a geographic footprint a fraction of the size of a solar field, geothermal energy provides constant, consistent baseload power, regardless of external factors such as water level (hydro), wind speed and direction (wind energy), or duration and intensity of sunlight (solar),” said Peter Vivian-Neal, founder and CEO of Kalahari, in the report.
