By Moses Patience Chat
The International Energy Agency (IEA) has estimated that Africa, home to approximately a fifth of the 8-billion world population, will consume just three per cent of electricity that the whole world will generate by the year 2025.
This was revealed from a new report by the Paris-based Agency, which also states that Asia will for the first time use half of the world’s electricity by 2025, even as Africa consumes far less than its share of the world population.
According to the report, China alone in Asia will use more electricity than Europe, India and the United States combined.
Keisuke Sadamori, IEA’s Director of Energy Markets and Security said “this and the high growing population mean there is still a massive need for increased electrification in Africa.”
The report also carried warnings of electricity demand and supply becoming more weather dependent, prompting Sadamori to describe the situation as “a crucial problem that lawmakers in the world should tackle.”
In his own words, “as the clean energy transition gathers pace, the impact of weather events on electricity demand will intensify due to the increased electrification of heating, while the share of weather-dependent renewables will continue to grow in the generation mix.”
He added that increasing the flexibility of power systems, while ensuring security of supply and resilience of networks, will be essential in a world where electricity production and use will become increasingly weather dependent.