LIMITED
' '' ' E/CN.14/NHSTD/E/3
9 February 1976
UNITED NATIONS ■
ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL' COUNCIL original:
G COMMISSION FOR AFRICA Second African Meeting on Energy- Accra, 1-12 March 1976
ELECTRIC ENERGY IN AFRICA : DEVELOPMENT AN!3 PROSPECTS
M76-
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Note "by the secretarial; '"
This document is being submitted by the secretariat of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) in crder to provide a brief review of the development of production, transport and consumption of electric energy in Africa since 1963 and
prospects in this field, pending the up-dating and reissue of the report on "Situation, trends and prospects of electric power supply in Africa" (E/CN.l4/EP.3/Rev.l)t which
dates from 1965.
Since the statistical data available when the present document was being prepared were not complete for the years 1974 and 1975, the secretariat was unable to supply the-data relating to those years or to assess the impact on African electricity production of the October 1973 increase in the prioe of energy and the repercussions of that increase on the economic development of certain African countries. These
shortcomings will be remedied as soon as possible.
I.
II.
III.
TA3LB OP CONTENTS
Page
Introduction - - - 1
Main trends in electricity production and consumption
in Africa _ - - 1
■Hydroelectric power in Africa 7
". Thermo-electric production V. The transport of electric
Power in Africa - VI. Rural electrification
in Africa -
IS
and
1. Total electricity production, total installed capacity and £e_r
conlumption - p. 3 » 2. Electricity production, instal;1* °agolty
consumption in developing African countries - P. 3 , 3, List 01:sir^, sssi 2S.Sf^
.ir. Production of hydroelectric energy in Africa, from
& 1sfi"fs irss
trical energy in Africa, 1973 - p. 14
E/CN. 14/NRSTD/E/3
I. Introduction
1. The development of electric energy has surged forward in Africa in recent years as a result of structural changes in the African economy, the exceptional growth of the oil industry, the construction of major modern hydroelectric complexes and the flexibility of electricity compared with competing forms of energy. In fact, at the present technological stage, it is electricity which has to meet a large part of new energy needs. It has penetrated more and more the market for heat, industrial and domestic uses, and the applications of electricity are increasingly expanding hand in
hand with over-all economic activity.
2. The initiation of a "broader range of industrial activities, linked with the transformation of the agricultural sector, has led to a rapid rise in consumption together with the modernization of equipment for the production, transport and dis tribution of electric energy, except perhaps in a few countries where economic development has been hindered by unfavourable factors,
3. At the same time, the energy situation in Africa wa=r-, at least up to the begin ning of the 1960s, marked by an almost total absence of any sense of planning or of looking at problems as a whole. The inventory of energy resources had hardly been sketched out and practical achievements, often narrow in scope, reflected a concern for prestige rather than a real desire for balanced economic development.
4. 'The principal task of independent African States is still today that of
determining the probable development of the electric energy needs of all sectors of their national economy, and planning so as to make it possible to meet future demand both by consumers with limited needs and by those, larger or smaller, who must
necessarily be supplied in large quantities, wherever they are located. Among the latter are industries of all kinds, agriculture and, possibly, transport.
5. The task of assessing the needs of the various categories of consumer and
anticipating the evolution of such aosds ove. time is all the more difficult as they are' found in new countries, where the needs may develop differently from in the developed countries. Such planning should cover a fairly extended period and should take into account the quantity and quality of available resources, the rapidity of economic growth, technological progress and the possibility of setting up. large economic groups which can.overcome national barriers,
6. Such planning should not neglect such important factors as the organization of the various structures with a view to the establishment of a public service which .is reliable, of high quality and perfectly suited to requirements; and the training of skilled local staff who can ensure the proper running and maintenance of the modern plant produced by the industrial and technological revolution of our times.
II, Main trends in electricity production and consumption in Africa
7. The curve of electric energy production has changed radically srince Africcn coun tries achieved independence. A rapid.glance backward shows that electric energy production amounted to only 6,600 GWh in 1937 (l GWh = 1 million kWh). It rose to 31,370 GWh in 1957, 49,216 GWh in 1963 and 67,115 GWh in 1967, reaching 111,831 GWh
E/CN.34/MRSTD/E/3
Page 2
in 1973. Projections are for about 130,000 in 1980.
8. P™ 1564 to 1973 the average annual.ate
for all the countries of the continent was 7.6
in and almost 200,000 GWh
cent,
per cent):
- North Africa: 4.7 in Egypt, 6.9 in the Sudan and 8.3 in Algeria;
in Mauritania; . >-
Centre! Africa: 0.8 in the United Republic of Cameroon, 4.8 in Zaxre, 13.
in Chad. 14.2 in Angola and 16.5 in Gabon;
.. astern Africa: 4.3 in Uganda, 6 7 in *
8.4 in Kenya, 12.1 in Ethiopia and 14-1 i_ '■ Southern Africa: 6.5 in Mozambique and 7- 2 in South Africa.
Although this list does not include
against only 1.72 per cent in 1964
„»
wo-ld a-verage, which was valued at U. We 2 Provides the
Those countries produced about continent in 1964 and 42 ^/^
1973, the average annual r*te of
cent the ^^ ^ an
production of electric power;in
^e nte of increase of installed
increase of Eer^ita consumption «as 6 per cent
12. As in the case of production, the
consumption varies widely f^?0™*
tries had a i^ ^
Z"
^^0^3 become highly mechanized,
IV On the other hand, of les.3 than 50 kWhf are as follovis: the
lfoAT^TcZ- ■:
. These countries were South
*Wh) and Liberia (521 kWh)-
f coal, gold, diamonds, copper
(44), M^scar (43), ^wi (43),
,:_■»... ^ Stalled capaci^and^caEi^—^""^^"^^
Totalelectrioit Year. 1963 1964 1965 1466Totalelectricity production(inGWh) 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1{
49 53
785 58124 61699 67115 74026 79523 87578 94112 101886 111
Percentageshare ofthermal production 77.1 77-0 76.7 77.0 76.3 74.3 72.0 71-7 72.0 70-7
TotalinstalledPercentage■share capacity(inMW)ofthermal.plant
Useofinstalled capacity 'inhours^ 12749 13234 13857 1448O 17335 19023 22038 23416 25228 27067 28
77. 76.5 73.6 71.1 75.7 74.1 72.3 70.8 71.1 69-9 69.8
SO 4O64
4-195 4
261 872 891 608 740 730 764 869
3 3 3 3 3 3 3
Percapita consumption 'inkWh] 170 180 190 196 208 224 232 248 261 275 2( StatisticalPapers,series E.75.XVII.13);.andECAsecretariat. Africancountries consumptionindevelopin installedcapacit Table2:Electricit "f'r"'l96^to1973 Year 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 19'
Totalelectricity production(inGWh) 19706 21540 23304 24824: 26915 30545j 33377; 36338^ ,39114:. 42744 16
Percentageshare ofthermal production 43.1 42.9 42.1 43.2 41-2 38.O 33.5 32.1 32.9 32.2
Totalinstalled capacity(inMW)
Percentageshare ofthermalplantUseofinstalled capacity inhours. 6779 6724 6892 7105 9295 10317 12194 12916 13228 14467 154Qi
52-2 54.0 47.1 41.4 55.0 52.6 50.2 47.4 46.I 45.0
910 203 381 494 896 961 737 813 957 955 094
Percapita consumption inJkWhJ 73 77 82 85 89 99 104 111 117 124 I!
o SB UJL*J E.75.XVII.13),andECAsecretariat.
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 4 .
Togo (45), the -italic of ^a^a (40),
the .Central African Republic (29), Cape Verde
Benin (17), Mali (16), Chad 15), Somali U5),
ftge£develop^, still falls
^Tn ilL^^^
short of the needs of their population
Equatorial Guinea (57)«
15. -As she™ in ta,le 3, nine'African ^^^^^I^jrSwTi, ^^
8| per cent of the total ^^^ty Production o * ~ nent ^ ^, onj.
GMh produced. South ^« «7ff, " ^,Pfdi developing countries-
and the ei^it countries listed below it on *J« «»« the total Afri^n production
produced 34,548 GWh, rPf^fei!otricity produced ^ African developing countries in
and almost 74 per cent of the f?0*""^ '"Sauced over 2 Million kWh each. The only
^SSrT^0^?^ «- ***- ^Uo of .Ca.eroon
oTrAfS ^^S
with 1,150 GWh and Tunisia with 1,129 GWh.
sa
average annual per consumption i
t i
than
■hUe 3; t.h«+. nf leading MVioan protone™ of electricity in l?7->
Rank
■1 2 3 4 56 78
Count r;
South Africa Egypt
Southern Rhodesia Zaire
Ghana - Zatobia - Algeria - Morocco -
Nigeria
Production
(in GWh) 8 10457 7 277 3 884V
3 600 3 419 3 000
2 639
2 19
Share in total production in
:Africa
"58.00- 7.25.
. 6.51'
■ 3.47 3-22:
2.683.05 2.36 2.
Source: Supplies,
l N
World Energy Supplies, iy fu"x?l^» "1"-*x
LS'Publication, Sales No. E. 75- XVII. 13;.
, Statistical Papers, series J, No. 18.
E/CN. 14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 5
17. As table 4 shows, the nine leading African consumers of electricity are the same countries as the leading producers. In 1973 they accounted for almost 89 per cent of the total consumption on the continent.. One of them, South Africa, accounted for 58 per cent of the total consumption. The other eight together consumed. 34?522 GWh, or nearly 31 per cent of all the kilowatt-hours consumed in Africa and 73 per cent of those' consumed in developing African countries. Total African consumption rose to 111,771 GWh in 1973 and consumption by African developing countries., to 44»O65 GWh.
18. The public sector played a leading role in the over-all growth in the production cf electricity in Africa. This sector, which is growing fairly rapidly, was responsible for 82 per cent of the total production of electricity in 1957 and for more than 85 per cent in 1963. In 1973 it supplied nearly 90 per cent of the electricity produced,, A3 is shown in table 5»this sector is so dynamic that it may soon be well able to provide almost all the electric power produced in Africa. This trend is reflected in the growing effectiveness of the way in which the public sector is organized, the increasing number of national companies and undertakings and in State control over natural resources and over public distribution concessions.
Table 4: List of leading African consumers of electricity in 1973
Rank Country
Consumption
(in GWh)
Share in total consumption in
Africa 1 South Africa
2 Egypt
3 Southern Rhodesia
4 Zambia -
5 Zaire
6 Ghana
7 Algeria 8 Morocco
9 Nigeria -
64 706 8 104 5 542 5 151 861 600 001 638
57-90 7.254.96 4.61 3.45
3.22 2.68 2.36
Total 99 228 88.7*
Source,: World Energy Supplies, 1970-1973* Statistical Papers, series J, No. 18 (United Nations Publication, Sales No. E. 75- XVII.13).
19o As shown in table 6, the production of electricity in the private sector, mostly in the industrial branch, has decreased significantly. The average annual rate of growth in this sector was around 4-6 per cent during the psriod 1964 to 1973, whereas it was about 8 per cent in the public sector. The private sector provided 14 per cent of the electricity produced in 1964 and slightly less than 11 per cent in 1973. While the electricity produced by the private sector represented over 17 per cent of the amount produced by the public sector in 1964, it amounted to 11.8 per cent of the funount produced by the public sector in 1973*
20, For purposes of clarity, it must be pointed out that the so-called "public" sector in each country consists of the undertaking or group of undertakings which produce electricity primarily for public use. The so-called "industrial" sector is made up of private industries which produce electricity for their own use. Some of these private undertakings frequently use the waste products and materials left over from thair pro cessing operations to generate electricity. Some of them supply nearby housing centres with electricity or channel it into public undertakings.
Table 5; Total production of electricity in Africa, by type and sector (in.GWh)
Q Year 196-3 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973PublicandindustrialBectorsPublicsector TotalThermalHydro 49216 53785 58124 61699 67115 74030 79523 87578 94112 101886 111831
37959 41436 44572 47527 51225 55016 57228 62805 67730 72052 80459
11257 12349 13552 14172 15890 19014 22295 24773 26382 29834 31372
TotalThermalHydro
Industrialsector TotalThermalHydro 41985 46243 50149 53629 59354 65779 71638 77437 83746 91229 99999
33999 37180 40124 43028 46735 50166 53051 56782 61738 65676 72996
7986 9063 10025 10601 12619 15613 18587 20655 22008 25553 27003
7231 7542 7975 8070 7761 8251 7885 10141 10366 10607 11832
3960 4256 4448 4499 4490 4850 4177 6023 5992 6326 7464
3271 3286 3527 3571 3271 3401 3708 4118 4374 4281 4368 Sources:WorldEnerg,Supplies,196i^O,1968-1971,1969-1972,^7^1973,StatistioalPap^e,
series J, Nob. "ft, 1&", 17 and 16 (.United Nations publications, Sales Nos, E.73.XVII.2, E.73.XVII.1O,
E,74.XVII.7andE.75.XVII.i3);andECAsecretariat.a* ON C/3
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 7
Table 6: Pattern of production in the public and industrial sectors in Africa
from 196^ to 1973. percentage share of each sector in total production and ratio (as a percentage) of industrial production to public production
Year
1963 1964 1965
1966
1967 1968 1969 1970 1971
1972 1973
Public sector Private sector
Ratio of industrial production to public production
85 o3
86.0 86.3 86.9 88.4 88.9
90.1 . 88.4'
89.O 89.6 89.4
14.7 14.0 13.7 .13.1 11.6 11.1 9.9 11.6 11.0 10.4 10.6
17.2
16.3 15.9
15-0 13*1 12.5 11.0 13.1 12.4 11.6 11.8
Source : ECA secretariat
III. Hydroelectric power in Africa
21. According to the most recent statistics, Africa!s share in the 6,540 billion kilowatt-hours of hydroelectric power which could be produced each year on all the dry land in the world, would be 2,690 billion kilowatt-hours. Its technically exploitable hydro potential is said to be 1,630 billion kilowatt-hours a year, or over one third of the world's hydroelectric resources.
22. This potential is, however, not uniformly distributed, North Africa having 5 per cent; West Africa, 10 per cent; Eastern Africa-, 22 per cent; Southern Africa, 17 per cent and Central Africa, 46 per cent, Zaire alone has an exploitable hydro electric potential of over 530 billion kWh per year, or about 32,5 per cent of the total potential of Africa. This country has the Inga hydroelectric site, which is the. most powerful in the world and has an estimated potential of over 200 billion kWh
per year. ■
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 8
23. The hydroelectric potential of Africa is almost entirely concentrated in the e^atoriaTzone cr its immediate vicinity on large waterways such as the Senegal, SgerV-Konkoure/Cavally, Bandama, Comoe and Voltadivers invest. Af.ric.a; th, Sanaga,,
Nyong Dgooue, Cuanza, Cunene and Zaire rivers and^ the tributaries of the;zair^ .river (tfe Ubangui, Lualaba, etc.) in-Central Africa;, the .Zambezi, P™/^-,
and Ruzizi rivers in eastern Africa, the Limpopo and Orange rivers in southern Africa Ti finally, the Nile in the centre of north-eastern Africa. The. hydroelectric wtwti^l of Madagascar is substantial, but it is divided among the Ivondor, Vohitra,
.Mangaxoflkcpa?l!tsiboka, Mananara, Sofia, Matsiatra, Mahojilo and Mangoky rivers.
24. Although the figures are still very incomplete, it may be ^aid that ^
hydroelectric potential per capita is more than three times lugher than the world average. When calculated on the basis of kilometres of land covered it is nearly
one and a half times higher than the known average for the entire earth.25. The African countries with the greatest hydroelectric f
(in order of importance and in billions of kWh per year): Zaire (5
Madagascar (VU), the United Republic of Cameroon (lOO), the United Republic of
S^XTre), Kenya (50), the Sudan (50), Gabon (48), Mozambique (45) and
Ethiopia (45)-
26 The production of hydroelectric power has grown substantially, having risen
from ^0 GWh in ,929 to 500 GWh in 1937,. 1,657 GWh in 1951, 7,330 GWh in 196O and
11 257 GWh in 1963. Between 1964 and 1973 it rose from 12,349 GWh to 31,372 GWh, showing an annual rate of growth of 9.8 per cent. The share of-this type of electricity in total production of electricity in Africa rose from 23 per cent m
1964 to 28.1 per cent in 1973. The amount of hydroelectric power produced in304 GWh i 1964 °r 996 per cent of thef^^^°7
1964 to 28.1 per cent in 1973.
developing Africa v;as 12,304 GWh i» 1964, °r 99-6 per cent of Qf^^^7 electric production of the continent, and 30,472 GWh in 1973, or 97.1 per cent of the total for Africa. This pattern of growth is traced in table 7, "hioh shows how
steacty hydroelectric production has been.
27 Hydroelectric equipment has followed a similar growth curve." Betwben the"
installation of the power station on the Victoria Falls in Southern ^icaand that of
the CaboraBasea station in Mozambique, several important breakthroughs have been ..made in the development of hydroelectric resources in Africa., The most;notable,
achievements were as follows: ' : ■
(i) North Africa: Bin El Ouidane (135 MW) in Morocco; the Agrioun-Djen Djen
complei (204 MW, including the Man souriah power station, which represents
100 MW of installed capacity) in Algeria; Aswan and.Sad el Aali (.^"the High Dam) (345 and 2,100 MWf respectively) in Egypt and.Roseires ^first 90, then 150 MW) in the Sudan ;■
(ii) West Africa: Mount Coffee (104 MW) in Liberia; the Ayame complex and
Kossou (50 and 174 MW, respectively) in the Ivory Coast; Akosombo (first 512, then 768 MW) in Ghana and the first installation of equipment at Kainji (320 MW towards a total of 1,000 MW) in Nigeria;Table7:ProductionofhydroelectricenergyinAfricafrom1963to1973 Shareintotal' electricityHydroelectricproductionShareof-developingAfrica Totalhydroelectric.productionofAfricandevelopinginhydroelectricproduction Yearproduction(inGWh)(inpercent)countries(inGWh)(inpercent) 196311257,;22.9"1121799-6- 19641234923.01230499.6 19651355223.31350099.6 19661417223.01410999.6 196715890.23.71582099.6
1968 19 014 25.7 18 934 ' 99.6
-,96922295"'28.022-20599.6 19702477328.324673-99.6 197126382-28.0'2624399.5 19722983429.328975.97.1 1973.31372/28.13047297.1 Sources:WorldEnergySupplies,1961-1970,1968-1971,1969-1972and1970-1973/StatisticalPapers, seriesJ,Nos.15,16,17and18(UnitedNationspublications,SalesNos.E.73.XVII.2,E.73.XVII.10, E.74.XVTI.7"andE.75.XVII.13);andEGAsecretariat..E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 10
(iii) Central Africa: The Edea complex (totalling 192 MW) in "the United : Republic of Cameroon; Kinguele (about 29 MW, expected to reach 48 MW in
1976) in Gabon; the. four large power stations in Shaba Province (Le Marinel, Delcommune, Bia and Ilebo, totalling 483 MW) and Inga phase I
(350 MW) in Zaire; Cambambe (260 MW), Lomaum (35 MW) and Cunene (n8 MW,
now being equipped) in Angola; ■....-.
(iv) Eastern Africa: Kariba (705 MW) in Southern Rhodesia; Kafue (600'MW)
and Victoria Falls (68 HW) in Zambia; Owen Falls (first 235» later'300 MW) in Uganda; Kidatu (first 100, then 150 and finally 200 MW> in the United Republic of Tanzania; Kindaruma (60 MW) in Kenya; the Awash complex(totalling 109 MW) and Pincha (lOO MW) in Ethiopia;
(v) Southern Africa: Hendrik Verwoerd (144 MW) in South Africa; Maurizi (50 MW), Revue (133 MW) and Cabora Bassa (1,200 MW in 1975. 2,000 MW. in 1979 and 3,600 MW when completed) in.Mozambique; and others.
28. Table 8 lists and describes hydroelectric stations of at least 100 MW. :The table does not include-the Hendrik Verwoerd power station in South Africa, whose' . present capacity of 144 MVMs apt to be doubled soon. There are a number of other medium- and low-capacity hydroelectric stations, whose inclusion would have made-
the list too long. Those with a capacity of at least 20 MW include Afourer (93.6 MW), Im'Fout (31.2 MW), Mohammed V (23.2 MW) and Sidi Maachou (2(5.8 MW) in MoroccojMandraka (30 Ul) in Madagascar; Matala (28.4 HW) and Mabubas (22.2 MW) in Angola and Nkula falls (28.8
MW) in Malawi. ■
29. Classified according to geographical conditions (degree of relief which determines the drop of the. fall), hydroelectric installations are either high-, : medium- or low-fall stations. Africa has four large regulator dams equipped with hydroelectric plants, as follows: Kariba, Akosombo, Sad el Aali and Cabora Bassa.
In addition there are a number of storage dams with some regulating capacity, I' which are also equipped with hydroelectric plants. The most important are the
Aswan, Bin el Ouidane, Roseires, Mansouriaii, Kossou, Cambambe, Le Marinel, Delcommune, Kafue Gorge, Revue, Hendrik Verwoerd and Pincha. Hydroelectric installations which do not depend on regulator dams include Owen Falls, Afourer, Edea and Inga. '■ \"
30. Africa has a unique opportunity to produce hydroelectric power from its many, promising and as yet unexploited resources. This is clean energy,, which does not cause pollution. Above all, it is permanently available, and countries which develop it in an enlightened way using methods of effective co-operation, should be able to view their economic future with confidence whereas.other countries are
in danger of suffering greatly from the substantial rise in the price of crude oil / and its derivatives. It is of the utmost importance for the African countries to
continue making an inventory of their hydroelectric resources, to be sufficiently aware of their respective energy position and to preserve sites which can be equipped in the middle or long term.
Table 8: African hydroelectric installations with a capacity of more than 100 MW (listed by age)
NameofLocation installation(waterway,country)Average Dateof■annual inception.Installedproduction ofcapacitycapacity operations(inMW)(inGWh)Additional informationRemarks AswanNile(Egypt) BinelOuidaneOuedelAbid(Morocco) Delcommune Edea OwenFalls LeMarinnel KaribaI Aksombo Mansouriah Roseires Saad'elAali Revue Kainji Gambambe
Lualaba(.Zaire; Sanaga(Cameroon) WhiteNile(Uganda) Lualaba(Zaire) Zambezi(Rhodesia) Volta(Ghana) OuedDjenDjen (Algeria) BlueNile(Sudan) Nile(Egypt) Limpopo(Mozambique) Niger(Nigeria) RioQuenza(Angola)
1925 1952 1952 1953 1954 1956 1959
345 135 108 196 300 248 705 1965 1965 1966 -1967 1968
768 100 150 2100 133 320 230
2500 250 533 1250 900 1410 5250 3840 850 1000 10000 450 5000 800
Firstcataracts ontheNile Height:132.5m Storagecapacity: 1.5billionm Inseveral phases Storagecapacity'.Presentpower
204.8 billion m3 235 MW
Storagecapacity:KaribaIIunder 148billionmconstructionin Zambia:600MW, 3250GWh Storagecapacity:Firstphase: 148billionnT512MW IrrigationDjenDjencomplex: 114MW Firstphase: 90MW Storage-capacity:Secondcataracts 164billionnrontheNile Storagecapacitv:Finalphase: 1270000000^1000MW
as
Table8:AfricanhY^oftlectrici (cont*d)
withacapacityofmoreth«i100MW(listedb? eg NameofLocation installation(waterway,country)
Heinrik Verwoerd Orange (South Africa)
Bandama(ivoryCoast) Kafui(Zambia)Average Dateofanual inceptionInstalledproduction ofcapacitycapacity operations(inMW)(inGWh) Kossu KafuiFalls Fincha Inga Kidatu
TributaryofBlueNile (Ethiopia) Zaireriver(Zaire)
1971, i 1972 1972 1973 1973 CaboraBassaZambezi(Mozambique) Tanzania
1975 Under construction
140 174 600 100 320 3600 200
28000 1500
is
ro Additional inforraaticn Storagecapacity; 28750000000m814 535 3500 532 2400ShongoDam
Remarks Finalphase: 288MW Secondphase: 900MW Finalphase: 1500MW Deviationof flowof Amartiriver PhaseII: 3:700MW PhaseIII: 30000MW 240000GWh Storagecapacity:1975:1200MW 64billionnr51979=2000MW Height:171m64billionnr51979=2000MW Finalphase: ■-'3600MW Firstphase: 100MW SecondandThird phases:An additional -50-MW-each
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 13
31. In the economic development of African countries, hydroelectric ^?^
ft i b f th multitudinous roles they can play. In addition to
31. In the economic development of African o, y ^?^|h^
of greft vilue because of the multitudinous roles they can play. In addition to ^eir
lolft the production of electric power, dams make it possible to s^z* ^Jf* °f
«ater courses and facilitate a rational irrigation policy. However ^&te*Sy*™
economically viable only when they constitute development poles of high-capacity agro
industrial complexes.
Many African countries are concerned with the development of low water falls and the
ESofS micro-hydroelectric power stations A number of encouraging experiment
mmmm
5
rlther rare ttet these respective resources can be developed to meet their short-
si:
the Central African Republic (90.1 per cent).
34. In addition the following nine countries met between 50
with hydroelectric power in 1973.
15 As shown in tatle 9, the leading producers of hydroelectric power in Africa in 1973
=
projects are in Morocco;
projects are in Morocco; , , ,,,.,. „.
(ii) West Africa: Manantali (200-240 MW - 1,000 GWh per year) and Selingae (10-24 MW -
1 ' 80 to 100 GWh per year) in Mali; study on the development of the River Gambia
(with three sites totalling 100 MW - 600 GWh per year) on behalf of the <^ia and Senegal; study on the development of the Black Volta with the power plant at
^e in g£h* (119 MH - 600 GWh per year) and three sites in the^PPer ™ a (3^MW-.
250 GWh per year each); the Kandadji dam on the Niger (140 to 200 MW - l.^ou win
per year) and the Hyodyonga on the Mekrou (24-5 MW - 66 GWh. per year in the Niger,
Z^n the develop Tf the Vhite Volta and a second hydroelectric plant on
the Bandana, downstream from the Kossou Dam, in the Ivory Coast;
B/CN.H/NRSTD/E/3
Page 14
Table 9l
Position Country
Production
(in GWh)_._
Share in total African production _
1 2 3
4 5 .6 7
■ a
Southern Rhodesia Egypt
Zaire Ghana Zambia
Nigeria Morocco
5 591 157 734 560 199 353 192 United Republic of Cameroon 1 100
16.44
"11.90 11-35 10.20 5.92
3.50
Nations Publication, Sales No. E.7
, co, ,ni ^n rwh Der vear) -, Natchigal (203 MW - (iii) In Central Africa, Lagdo (31 MH - 350 GNhper V ^ ^ ocH|pou,A
300 GHh per year), Songloulou (24MV - 700 C* P V £ ^. ^
MH - 1 200 GWh per year in the United RepublMW - 7,000 GWh per year -— ^ ^
the Congo; phases I and II at Inga
(600 » - 3,500 GWh
«»
r;
etc.
37. This Xi-t is not exn^tive. Otner ^^^^^
doabt planned by «»- African ^"e., a le~»* ^ ^electric schen-.es .ay
a^ade. Also during that period o her^ s ,Ut^f ^J^ ^^ ^
be planned on the continent s major rxvers possible hydroelectric
now. ■ The following may be nentxoned »ong these P ^ ^ ^^ ^
schen.es: on the Nile, work on the °""«*;>{™ m ^ average ?J1nual production
Khartoum and Aswan, for installed ^^il^™ ^ * ^ ?*la' "*
capacity of 42 billion kWh; on the V~£^ ^ rf supplying 6 billion kiftl5 on
,ub-., development with a potentxal of 800 MW capa involving 1,200 MH of the Senegal and its tributaries, "evelop-nt of a <to ^ ^ harnessii,g of thc Konkoure
plant:for average annual production capacity / ^ ^ .rstalled C3paci,y
at Souapiti and A^aria -/— ^^ the border between Liberia and the Xvory
of 1,200 MW. harnessing of the Caval y production capacity of
Coast for 36O MH. »* the Tlbo*° 81*''J°^*^ of Attakro and Mai,.ala.sc, 2,500 GNhi on the Coraoe, development of the sites
PageJ.5
Kenya, etc.
of
total production in African countries amounted
equipped in the hydroelectric field
39
lower investaent required, but especially because of the
of hy/r!>.
international energy situation.
E/CN.14/NKSTD/E/3 Page 16
development,, The former colonial Powers, considering the risks to their investment too great in view of the political uncertainty which initially accompanied the
accession of African countries to independence, urged the tdectro-industries to set . aside major hydroelectric schemes from their expansion programmes in such countries in favour of other energy sources; many of which permitted the establishment of
European enterprises, such as crude petroleum and natural gas. As a result, countries possessing substantial water resources were compelled to provide an economic justifi cation for the development of such resources in order to secure financing. Even then, persistence and stubbornness were needed from Governments. That was. the case for Akosombo in Ghana, Inga in Zaire, Kariba and Kafue in Zambia, the Aswan High Dam in ..
Egypt and Kossou in the Ivory Coast, to mention only a few.
41. For such schemes as Souapiti in Guinsa, Kouilou in the Congo, Gouina in Mali and the Chutes de I1Imperatrice in Gabon, among many others, more than ten years have passed since the studies were completed, but it has not been possible to implement
the schemes because of lack of finance/ even when economic justification and adequate evidence of profitability have been supplied.
42. African countries will succeed in efficiently exploiting their vast hydroelectric potential only when the. objective conditions are present which will permit the real e::ercise of their sovereignty over their natural resources and control over their development in the best possible manner in order to ensure dynamic and self-sufficient development.based on the axploitation and processing; whitin the African.continent, of
their raw materials and. their commodities. Enlightened co-operation could help them
in that*
43. At all events, the planning of electric energy requirements and ways of meeting., them should be ueveloped on a multinational, if not subregxonal, scale, and tha
construction of major schemes meeting the needs of modern industries should be linked with rural electricity supply projects so as to speed up the process of transforming
the rural areas..
IVo Thermoelectric production in Africa
44. As table 5 shows, the share of thermal production is very high in Africa. How ever, the share has diminished, falling from 96*7 per cent in 1929 to 90.2 per cent
in 1953 and 77.1 per cent in 1963. From 1954 to 1973 it declined from 77 to 71.9 per
cent, a substantial fall* Nevertheless, it will remain of major importance in the coming years, because of the predominant share of South Africa, whose electricity production is mainly of thermal origin and whose reserves of good-quality coal are very large. South Africa alone contributed almost SO per cent of total electricity production in Africa in 1964, and almost 53 per cent in 1973- Its thermal productionrepresented about 73 per cent of that'of the continent in 1964, and nearly 80 per
cen'c in 1973•
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 17
45. Thermal production capacity rose from 10,124 MW in 1964 to 20,178 Mtf in 1973>
these figures representing respectively 76.5 and 69-0 per cent of total installed
capacity in Africa and reflecting an avt.-age ;a*Wual rate of increase of 6.9 per cent.The rate was 7 per cent for the public sector and 5-3 per cent for the industrial sector during the same period. Installed thermal capacity in South Africa made up 64.3 per cent of total installed thermal capacity in Africa in 1964, and 66 per cent
in 1973.
46. In African developing countries, thermal electricity production in 1974 was 9,236 GWh, representing about 22 per cent of African thermal production, and in 1973 was 16,502 GWh, representing 20 per cent of the total. The growth rate for thermal production in such countries was only about 6 per cent.. Installed capacity rose from 3,564 MW in 1964 to 6,354 in 1973, showing an average growth rate of 6.8 per cent a
year. ■-,...
47. Perhaps because of the long time required for studying and harnessing water resources, African countries often resort to small, medium-sized or large thermal installations to meet their urgent needs, even if favourable hydroelectric production opportunities exist close to the centres to be served.. Another probable reason for this approach is the high: cost *>f--investment in hydroelectric installations; and consequently the difficulty of obtaining financing for them, as very often the siting of hydroelectric plants in relation .to the major consuming centres necessitates the erection of high or very high tension power transmission lines. Thus the work required becomes very expensive and places a very heavy burden on State budgets, and on the consumers through the1cost price of the kWh sold.
43. Thermal plants have the great advantage.of being sitable close to centres of consumption. The power made available can be. adapted to demand with great flexibi lity. If demand is low, it may be met by using diesel engines, gas turbines fed by rotary compressors, or gas turbines fed by free-piston generators. In the case of large power outputs, as high as several dozen or several hundred thousand kilowatts, the steam-generating station, using either fuel oil, coal or natural gas, is techni
cally the best solution. . .
49. All levels of thermal equipment have been installed in Africa, in addition to the MHD technique. For electricity supply to isolated centres low-powered diesel generating sets have been used, ranging, from.50 to 1,000 kW in blocks, and consuming gas oil. For capacities between 1,000 and 10,000 kW, slow- diesel engines, diesel-
gas generators or "Twin" units (consisting of two engines driving a single alternator)
have been used with success. Diesel-gas units have been tested at Port-Gentil in Gabon and at Holle in the Congo. "Twin"' or "sandwich" unites have been tested in Mali, the United Republic of, Cameroon, the Niger, the Congo and Zaire. There are several diesel stations with installed capacity higher than 10,000 kN, notably in Mauritania, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Zaire. Steam-generating plants producing
several hundred megawatts (l megawatt = 1,000 kW) have also been constructed, princi
pally in South Africa.
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3 Page 18
50 In general it may be asserted that the internal combustion engine has given
fompl te^aUsfactio/in Africa. Its use .ill be Justified for a long t^e o co^e
especially in countries which have few exploitable water resources -- by the fact that
17Z Slsible, or difficult, to provide each country on the continentwith a
general interconnected network serving the most distant regions, and by the low
power supplied in some isolated centres.
51 Apart from technical development, which has made this type of generator -
p rfX up-to-date machine, certain recent innovations have tended to maK
especially appropriate as a tool for rural electrification in Africa. The first
in Liberia to supply the Bong Mines
generating sets Kith total capacity of about 66,000 kW.
Morocco, Egypt and the Ivory Coast. .
n gas generators are increasingly being used in Algeria, the Libyan
especially for covering peak load periods.
several elements fully assembled in the factory,
specific consumption of this generator increases rapidly when xts load falls.
-generating equipment is frequently used in Africa, for powerblocks of
Steam
r
in-Cairo, where the town's three stations total 601,000 kW, and
Ikeja station reached 107,000 kW in 1972.E/CN.1/+/NRSTD/E/3 Page 19
55. Steam-generating stations operating with fuel oil also exist in several other cities' with' capacities'of between 30 cr.d 250 MW. Only a few will be mentioned here:
Kafr.el Dawar (.220 MW), Bamamhour (225 MW), Talkla (.127.5 M*0» Suez (100 MW), Assiout (90MW), Karmouz (SO MW), Sioux (i.13 MW) and iil-Tabbine- (45 MW) in Egypt; Port-II in Algiers with a capacity of 120 MW; Dakar, with the Bel-Air (60.2 MW) and Cap des Biches (44 MW) stations; Abidjan, with the stations of Vridi (64 MW, with 214 MW planned) and the port (30 MW)? etc.
57. -Since a few years ago the use of natural gas ha3 completely altered the basis of the problem of electric energy production in such countries as Algeria, Tunisia, the Libyan Arab Republic, Nigeria and Egypt, which possess substantial reserves of that source of energy. Between 1970 and 1974 Algeria installed capacity of 600 MW, 450 MW in conventional thermal stations and 150 MW in gas turbines. The country now has
major^stations;at Skikda.(270 MW), Oran (l39 MW), Annaba (l64 MW - due to receive an additional 130 MW) and the port of Algiers (120 MW). Tunisia has the stations.of GhennoucKA (60 MW) and Poste de Ghennouch (59 MW). The Libyan Arab Republic is constructing the Tripoli and Benghazi stations, each with two blocks of 120 MW, and a new plant at Misurata. In addition to the stations at Afam (60 MW) and Ughelli
(90 MW), Nigeria is planning to have in service by 1977 two stations supplied by : natural gas at Sapele (200 MW) and Ughelli (100 MW)", both capable of being strength
ened., .■•■-■' ■. ■.
58. Coal-using thermal stations are by far the most important, especially in South Africa, That country has the most powerful thermal stations in the southern hemi- sphere iii Caraden (l,600 MW, equipped with 3 sets of 200 MW unit capacity), Arnot (whose capacity is to rise to 2,100 MW) and Hendrina (2,000 MW planned). The Arnot
station is equipped with 350 MW unit capacity generators, : ,...-■.
59. Other less powerful thermal stations also exist in South Africa. Mention may be
made of Komati (l,000MW), Grootvelet (800 MW), Ingagane (500 MW), Highveld (480 MW), Taaibos (48OMW), Klip,"(424 MW), Vierfontein (38O MW) , Salt River (340 MW), Vaal (318
MW), Umgeni (24Q MW), Wilge (240 MW), etc. Elsewhere in Africa, mention may be made of the Jereda station, in Morocco, with installed capacity of.165 HW.
60. Apart from the commercial fuels used for thermal production of electricity in Africa, ther are other possibilities, some of which offer interesting prospects.
Geothermal energy is one of the hopes Africa can count on in the future, especially in the east where- along the Rift Valley, there are still many active volcanoes and
hot springs. '
61. Despite the presence of many geothermal phenomena from the Red Sea to Lake Malawi (or Nyasa), Africa as yet has only one geothermal station, which is of low
capacity (220 kw) and is located at Kwabukwa, in Shaba province in Zaire. The steam generator of the station uses water from a hot spring to produce in a vacuum low- : pressure steam which drives a turbosalternator set. The station consumes 40 litres of water a second at" 21° C. The electricity produced is used for the operation of
a tin mine situated about 10 kilometres from the station.
E/O4.U/NRSTD/E/3
Page 20
62. For several years prospecting and drilling has been proliferating, notably in
the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, Ethiopia, Kenya and elsewhere in ■
Eastern Africa, in the United Republic of Cameroon and Chad> in Central Africa, and Mali, in the Lake Faguibine area, in West Africa. Initial indications are that the most promising areas are in Ethiopia, the French Territory of the Afars and the Issas, ■ Kenya and the United Republic of Cameroon, but no decision for commercial exploita tion appears yet to have been taken.
63. Other possibilities are offered by nuclear energy. As yet Africa possesses no nuclear stations for electricity peneration. It has only a few small experimental installation, intended for research into the peaceful applications of atomic
energy.- A few projects for the construction of nuclear stations are being studied in South Africa and Egypt.
.64. An 300 MW capacity nuclear station is to be built and operated by the Koeberg Power Station north of Cape Town. It is due to enter into service by 1981. The
western part of Cape Province is the furthest consumption centre from the coal ; " ; deposits. The use of electricity of nuclear origin is justified there and could •■ .■■
rapidly become;viable. South Africa's Atonic Energy Board is actively working on, . the possibility of setting up other nuclear stations before the end of the.century in order, to ensure the country's self-sufficiency in energy as the major African producer of uranium.
65. The use of powerful nuclear reactors does not appear to be justified in African
developing countries, because of their low electricity consumption and the avail
ability of resources which are more economical and better suited to their.current, . . level.of economic development. One exception should be noted: Egypt and the
Libyan Arab.Republic are jointly studying the possibility of building a nuclear station near the town of Alexandria. However, electricity of nuclear origin is at a stage where its production, except in large units of more than 500 MW, is not
yet competitive with electricity production from traditional energy sources. ■ Future developments in this field will no doubt give rise to interesting solutions for countries .poor in energy resources and far from the sea,
66. The past decade has seen improvements to nuclear techniques. Safe, reliable and competitive equipment is now available to compare with conventional thermal, plant. However',' this competitiveness, secured through rationalization and ' ' :' standardization of equipment, depends above all on the scale of installations.
Unit capacities being installed now reach 1,200 t!W and up to 2,000 MW. Besides these .large plants, marine engines covering a range of capacities from 25 to 125 MW have been developed. Conversion of these units for use in land stations, and
their development to reach capacities of the order of 300 ??f, are now being studied;
67. Such stations are of interest to isolated countries which lack water resources' and where the cost of traditional fuels is high. Their competitiveness compared;
with thermal methods will depend on technical progress, but especially on the size of the markets they serve.
68. Mention should be made, among the important problems raised by the use of nuclear stationsi of that of operation, which demands advanced technology, and that of major maintenance of the reactor, which calls for a complete switch-off for about two months every two years. The answer is either to double up on plant, which is . expensive, or, better,, to add conventional emergency equipment, which would be re sorted to only occasionally.
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 21
69. The development of energy needs in a still unplannable future, together with scientific, technical and technological progress and the rise in the price of tradi tional energy materials, will no doubt prompt African countries to study, and plan fcr the exploitation of other natural energy sources, such as bituminous shales, sand and sandstone, solar radiation, wind energy, heat energy from the sea, ligneous fuels in forested regions, waste from plant or mineral products and certain agricultural wastes*
70, Apart from the interest of the central Congo plateau for oil shales, and the Sahelian, arid or semi-desert countries for the intensity of solar radiation and the length of insolation, mention should be made of forest resources, which in the most favoured areas would permit production of the equivalent of 100 million metric.tons of coal per year. The use of oil shales may involve the extraction of the oil they contain or the production of electricity of direct combustion.
V. The transport of electric power in Africa
71- The rapid development of consumption has led to a quantitative and .qualitative.
increase in production, and this increase has given rise to the problem of improving the means of transmitting and distributing electric energy. Since the new hydro electric plants do not offer the same flexibility as thermoelectric plants, whose establishment may be decided upon in terms of the location of centres of consumption, new thought has had to be given to the problem of serving distant areas, as well as to the question of operating voltage,
72. Electricity can be transported with relatively low losses over a few hundred kilometres: this is the case in North Africa, where 225 kv lines reach lengths of 340 km in Morocco and almost 400 km in Algeria; it also applies in Central Africa, where 330 kv dual lines cover distances of 600 km in Zambia and 1,030 km in Southern Rhodesia, Beyond about a thousand kilometres, however, the problems 'of energy loss in transmission become very important. Exploitation of superconductivity ; (the property of certain bodies of conducting electricity without losses when" they are brought to a temperature close to absolute zero) will perhaps make;it'possible in the future to solve the problem of transporting massive quantities of electric energy over
long distances,
73. In Africa, while the 1950s saw the erection of lines of 33 to 132 kv and a
single line of 220' kv, the 1960s marked a decisive stage in the use of higher voltages.
Lines of 330 kv were put up in Nigeria and in the system supplying, from the Kariba hydroelectric station, both the Copperbelt in Zambia and the major towns of Southern Rhodesia. Two 500 kv lines, covering about 700 km as the crow flies, serve the major centres of consumption in Egypt from the Aswan and Saad el Aali hydroelectric stations
on the first and second Nile cataracts.
74. Before the end of the 1970s, the Cabora Bassa hydroelectric station in Mozambique
will be linked by 535 kv (500 kv nominal voltage) lines to the major centres ofconsumption in South Africa, Pretoria and Johannesburg, over a distance of about 1,400 km. This line was due to be completed in 1975, at the time when the first sets at Cabora Bassa were put into operation. The AC line is capable of carrying 2,000 MW.
Such a line seems to be the maximum possible with AC, and necessitated recourse to very advanced techniques, which are still rarely used in the developed world.
75. Work on the construction of the electricity transmission line from the Inga
hydroelectric station to Kolwezi, in Shaba province, Zaire, should be completed in 1976.
E/CN.14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 22
This dual circuit 500 kv DC line will stretch over about 1,800 km. It will represent the limit of what is possible economically in present conditions, and its design involves the most advanced technology in the use of semi-conductors.
76. Imaginative solutions will undoubtedly be necessary during the coming decades as
a result of the rapid expansion of needs and the running down, or exhaustion, of some
resources. The most pessimistic projections show that African electricity consumption will approach 200 billion kWh in 3580. Such solutions will also be necessary because of the interconnexions which will become essential as a result of the |fts« of African countries to promote effective multinational co-operation in the field of electricenergy.
77. -Apart from the land-locked countries within South Af/icT (Botswana, Lesotho and
Swaziland), the length of African electricity transmission networks above 60 kilovolts was about 119,634 km in 1973. In terms of the voltages used, that figure may be
broken down as follows (in kilometres):
from from
r
100 60
to to
500 400 330 300 90
kv kv kv kv kv Total.
- 1 - 4 - 3 - 28 - 80 119
576 856 427 875 900 634
78 These lines included interconnexion systems linking different African countries, the most significant examples being: the 330 kv network linking Southern Rhodesia and Zambia; the 220 kv line linking the major hydroelectric stations in Shaba, in
Zaire, and the Zambian Copperbelt; the 161 kv lines linking Akosombo, in "' *;°me
in Togo and Cotonou in Benin; ,the 132 kv line linking Jinja, in Uganda, and Nairobi in Kenya; the 225 kv line (not yet completed) linking Morocco and Algeria, and the_90 kv network linking Algeria and Tunisia. These varied interconnexions made possible
energy exchanges ot the order of 2,350 GWh in 1973.
79 The range of different voltages used is still striking, and merits; special attention. Without indicating the.details of voltages used in each country, we may
offer the following list: .60 kv, 66 kv, 69 kv, 70 kv, 88 kv 90 kv,100kv, 120 kv,
1>2 to, 150 kv, 161 kv, 220 kv, 230 kv, 275 kv, 330 kv, 400 kv and 500 kv.E/CN. 14/NRSTD/E/3
Page 23
80. African countries must seriously seek standardization and rationalization in order to achieve the adoption of common voltage and frequency standards. That could promote the opening up of a large market rfor electric equipment suited to
Africa's needs and circumstances and manufactured in the continent.
VI. Rural electrification in Africa
81.' For a number of years several African countries have been preoccupied with the problems of rural electrification. Progress in that area has been slight, except in a few countries such as Algeria, the Ivory Coast and Nigeria. Some have
endeavoured to solve the problem by means of maximum possible extension of networks in the countryside, others through a proliferation of low-powered single stations
and independent distribution networks.
1
82. The problem is undoubtedly complex, especially for countries with limited revenue, in a continent as vast and sparsely populated as Africa. The areas to be supplied are often characterized by their scattered nature, their remoteness from the sea, the great distances separating one from another, the inadequacy of means of transport and communications, low population density, the absence of skilled manpower, the low level of economic activity and, in many cases, unfavourable
climatic conditions.
83. This set of constraints imposes special requirements on production and
distribution arrangements, both in terms of design and in terras of implementation and operation. Each isolated area must have a station and an independent distribu tion network, in places where there are no interconnexion networks, and therefore the various elements of the system must offer1 operational safety and considerable
flexibility in use.
84. One characteristic factor is that, at any distance from the major towns, the density of the equipment diminishes with the density of population, so that, at least for a time, the various installations, industrial ar.ri commercial as well as communal, are almost obliged to be located in the major centres or in their immediate
environs.
85. Nevertheless, despite the urgent need for comprehensive industrialization in our countries, it is no less essential to consider the social benefits secured through the distribution of electricity in lesser centres and in the countryside.
In rural areas, electrification will make it possible to supply energy to human settlements of some hundreds or thousands of homes, especially for pumping water, lighting, domestic uses, the development of craft industries and a few communal
installations. '
Q6c In cuch cftcn deprived arcao, electrification can iiako it possible, on
the economic level, to set up small processing or manufacturing industries, thereby raising both the standard of living and the level of skills of the inhabitants, by promoting a rise in the still inadequate individual incomes. The diversification of employment and occupations can contribute to the training of local manpower suited to the immediate requirements of development.
/ Page 24
87 on the social level, eXectrification^ill^ an ^^
t0 combat the rural exodus towards ^e^fJgfcontrlbute to
'•*
Tr thermal
economic order
