DNV GL
Earlier this year , more than 1,600 people from 71 countries provided their views on a scenario where renewables account for 70 % of power-sector generation .
The results shed light on the energy transition underway – and hint at sub-Saharan Africa ’ s ( SSA ) potential to carve its own pathway .
It ’ s clear that change is coming . Our survey respondents were upbeat : when asked how quickly the transition could be made to a high renewables system in a secure and affordable manner , more than four fifths believed this could happen by 2050 . And indeed , parts of the African continent are already making great headway : South Africa and Morocco lead the pack on wind and PV ; Egypt is hot on their heels , whilst East Africa ’ s tasty wind speeds have been attracting interest .
But the question is : how can higher penetrations of renewables be achieved ? This is where the survey ’ s findings get interesting . Around two thirds of respondents identify energy storage in their topthree most important factors for integrating a high share of renewables , ranking well ahead of options such as smart grids and regulatory changes .
SSA respondents clearly share in this global storage enthusiasm : one SSA government agency employee frankly stated that “ The importance of energy storage to realizing a high level of renewable energy … cannot be overemphasized ”. Meanwhile a manufacturer representative targeting the SSA market boldly asserted that a power system with 70 % renewables was “ science-fiction ” without storage .
60 May 2015