14 October 2014: The International Energy Agency (IEA) has launched a Special Report examining the energy sector in Sub-Saharan Africa. The report focuses on ways to accelerate economic and social development in the region through energy sector actions and investment, and examines future prospects of the region’s energy sector, broken down by fuel, sector and sub-region, and key issues such as the role of renewable energy, in particular mini-and off-grid solutions, in providing access to electricity.

The report, titled ‘Africa Energy Outlook: A Focus on Energy Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa,’ was launched on 13 October 2014, in London, UK, and contains sections on: energy in Africa today; outlook for African energy to 2040; African energy issues in focus; and building a path to prosperity.

On the current status of energy in Sub-Saharan Africa, the study highlights trends and challenges, including: rapid economic growth since 2000; high energy demand growth, at 45% between 2000 and 2012; low share in global energy demand compared to the share in global population, at 4% and 13%, respectively; limited access to modern energy services; high share of traditional bioenergy in energy demand; rapid growth of renewables-based capacity but from a very low base, except in the case of hydropower; and high electricity tariffs and lack of well-targeted, pro-poor subsidies.

On the outlook through 2040, the report projects, inter alia: quadrupling of the region’s power generation capacity, to 385 GW; an additional 950 million people gaining access to electricity; a decline in the share of bioenergy in the energy mix from 60% to below half; and a small contribution to global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, at 3% in 2040, coupled with high vulnerability to climate change, including with regard to hydropower.

On Africa-specific energy issues, the report examines: policies, fuels and technologies for improved electricity access; transition to cleaner sources of biomass; the role of oil in Nigeria’s economic development; efforts to diversify away from coal in South Africa; and obstacles to natural gas development in Mozambique and Tanzania.

For a better-functioning regional energy system, the IEA report recommends actions in three areas: investment in the power system, including through improved investment climate; better resource management; and expanded cross-border trade and regional energy cooperation.

The Africa Energy Outlook was previewed during a two-day energy conference hosted by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs under its ‘Italy-Africa Initiative,’ titled ‘Italy-Africa, Working Together for a Sustainable Energy Future,’ which took place from 13-14 October 2014, in Rome, Italy.

The report is part of the IEA’s ‘World Energy Outlook 2014′ (WEO 2014), which will be released on 12 November 2014. Another WEO 2014 Special Report, ‘World Energy Investment Outlook,’ was published on 3 June 2014. [IEA Press Release] [Publication: Africa Energy Outlook: A Focus on Energy Prospects in Sub-Saharan Africa] [IEA Africa Energy Outlook Webpage] [IEA Factsheet on Energy in Sub-Saharan Africa Today] [IEA Factsheet on Sub-Saharan Africa – Key Projections to 2040] [IEA Factsheet on Sub-Saharan Africa – Main Areas for Policy Action] [IEA World Energy Outlook Website] [IISD RS Story on IEA World Energy Investment Outlook]