Global Energy Interconnection Development and  
Cooperation Organization  
The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization  
(GEIDCO), with its permanent office domiciled in Beijing, China, is an international  
organization among willing firms, associations, institutions and individuals who are  
dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of energy worldwide.  
The purpose of GEIDCO is to promote the establishment of a Global Energy  
Interconnection (GEI) system, to meet the global demand for electricity in a clean and  
green way, to implement the United NationsSustainable Energy for Alland climate  
change initiatives, and to serve the sustainable development of humanity.  
The GEIDCO will promote the concept of GEI, formulate GEI development plans,  
promote the creation of a GEI technical standards framework, organize concerted  
and collaborative efforts in researches and innovations, key studies, international  
communication and cooperation, engineering project implementation, provide  
consulting services, and lead the development of GEI.  
The founding of GEIDCO marks the transition of GEI from a concept to strategy  
implementation. Looking forward, GEI will promote South-South and South-North  
cooperation, and help transform the resource advantage into economic advantage in  
regions like Asia, Africa and South America. This will help address power shortage and  
poverty, narrow regional gap and difference. Life will be better as the world gradually turn into a  
bright, peaceful and harmonious global village with sufficient energy, blue sky and green land.  
©GEIDCO, 2019  
Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization  
NO.8 Xuanwumennei Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, P.R.China  
All rights reserved by GEIDCO  
Preface  
Africa abounds with mineral resources, clean energy resources and fast-growing labor  
force, which makes it a region with the most economic development potential across  
the globe. In the new phase featured by industrialization and regional integration, Africa  
has ushered in a rare development opportunity while being challenged by arduous  
task of realizing sustainable development in recent years. Therefore, Africa calls for a  
comprehensive economic development strategy and plan, an innovative development  
model, as well as a solution to energy shortage in the process of industrialization, thereby  
achieving its sustainable development.  
On the basis of in-depth research of Africas economic and social development situation,  
Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization(GEIDCO)  
has put forward a new development model for the co-development of electricity,  
mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade. According to the pattern, by coordinating  
the planning and construction of clean energy bases such as hydropower, mining  
and metallurgy bases and industrial parks, a power market linking power generation,  
transmission and utilization together will be built, and an integrated development pattern  
covering mining, smelting and deep processing take shape. On doing so, Africa will push  
forward the industrialization process by developing mining and metallurgy industries,  
boost economic and social development by constructing industrial parks, and integrate  
in global market and global value chain through trade, effectively solving the problems of  
power shortage in industrial development and limited market in power development, and  
creating enormous economic and social benefits.  
To achieve the co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and  
trade, the key is to accelerate the construction of the Africa Energy Interconnection.  
Based on this, efforts should be made to develop hydropower and other clean energy  
resources, facilitate the construction of cross-border and inter-regional interconnection  
infrastructure, and secure the clean, reliable and cheap energy supply in Africa. These  
efforts will become the driving force to promote the industrialization and regional  
integration of Africa, achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development of the  
United Nations and Agenda 2063 of African Union, and advance the building of a human  
community with a shared future.  
Contents  
Preface  
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa....06  
1.1 Opportunities and challenges for sustainable development.................07  
1.2 General ideas of Africa energy interconnection ...................................15  
1.3 Development trend of energy and power in Africa................................16  
1.4 Development and Utilization of Clean Energy in Africa.........................17  
1.5 Overall Pattern of African Power Grid Interconnection .........................19  
1.6 Planning of Regional Power Grid Interconnection.................................24  
1.7 Major Interconnection Projects ..............................................................31  
1
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy,  
2
Manufacturing and Trade .....................................................................................35  
2.1 Content and Basic Ideas ........................................................................36  
2.2 Significance.............................................................................................38  
2.3 Planning...................................................................................................39  
Comprehensive Benefits......................................................................................49  
3.1 Economic Benefits..................................................................................50  
3.2 Social Benefits ........................................................................................53  
3.3 Environmental Benefits...........................................................................54  
3.4 Political Benefits......................................................................................55  
3
4
Conclusion............................................................................................................56  
Africa energy interconnection promotes  
sustainable development in Africa  
1
Africa is the worlds second largest and second in population continent. With  
an area of about 30.22 million km2, it covers 20.4% of Earths land area. The  
continent, located in the west of the Eastern Hemisphere, is surrounded by the  
Indian Ocean to the east and the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and straddles the  
equator. Relying on its abundant water and mineral resources, Africa has set  
clear goals to march towards the industrialization and regional integration. At the  
same time, however, power shortage in industrial development, limited market  
in power development, inadequate credit assurance for project financing and  
insecure return on investment, all of which have caused serious constrains on  
the leaping development of Africa.  
1.1  
Opportunities  
and challenges  
for sustainable  
development  
1.1.1BasicꢀInformation  
Regional integration is deepening in Africa. Africa has basically realized regional  
peace and stability, accompanied with minimal regional conflicts in history. Africa  
has proactively participated in international political and global governance as an  
important player on the international politics and the global structure. With the  
regional integration deepened, 44 African countries signed African Continental  
Free Trade Area (ACFTA) in 2018, in a bid to further reduce tariff and eliminate  
trade barrier, promote regional trade and investment development, achieve  
unrestricted flows of commodity, service and capital within the African continent,  
and gather various African economic entities to form a uniform big market.  
According to the combined estimates by the UNECA, African Development Bank  
and African Union, after removal of tariff and nontariff barriers, the proportion of  
African internal trade volume in Africas total foreign trade will rise from 10.2%  
(2010) to 21.9% (2022).  
Africas economic development is on the fast track, and external market  
constantly grows. Since the new century, Africas economy has grown at an  
average annual rate of over 4%, which makes this continent one of the rapidest  
growth in the world. In 2017, in particular, the GDP of Africa reached 2.3 trillion  
USD. The urbanization level has increased significantly, and the urbanization  
rate in Africa rose to 40% in 2015 from 25% in 1975. Over the past two decades,  
the volume of trade between Africa and other regions has increased four folds.  
Trade partners become more diverse, expanding from European and American  
countries to emerging economies. During 2002 and 2012, the proportion of  
BRICS (except for South Africa) in Africas total foreign trade value increased  
from 9.1% to 24%.  
Inꢀ  
2017  
theꢀGDPꢀofꢀAfricaꢀreached  
trillionꢀUSD  
2.3  
Africa is experiencing continuous release of demographic dividend. Compared  
with 1990, Africas population doubled to over 1.2 billion in 2017, around 16.3%  
of the worlds total. This figure is expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050. Specially,  
this continent will surpass other regions in terms of the proportion of its youth  
population to the worlds total. By 2050, the number of labor force in Africa will be  
over 1.5 billion, which will provide potent support for Africas industrialization.  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
07  
ꢅꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢄꢂꢁꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢃꢂꢁꢀ  
ꢃꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢂꢁꢀ  
North Africa  
West Africa  
Central Africa  
East Africa  
Southern Africa  
ꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢃꢂ  
ꢄꢀꢅꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢈꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢂꢀ  
Figureꢀ1.1ꢀ PopulationꢀGrowthꢀForecastꢀofꢀAfrica  
1.1.2ꢀ DevelopmentꢀObjectives  
Regional objective. The African Union and sub-regional organizations, such  
as ECOWAS, have established joint mechanism. Specially, the Agenda 2063  
of African Union seeks to deliver on a set of seven aspirations, drawing a  
magnificent blueprint for transforming Africa into the global powerhouse by  
2063. Seven Aspirations are: (1) a prosperous Africa based on inclusive growth  
and sustainable development; (2) an integrated continent, politically united and  
based on the ideals of Pan-Africanism and the vision of Africas Renaissance;  
(3) an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice  
and the rule of law; (4) a peaceful and secure Africa; (5) an Africa with a strong  
cultural identity, common heritage, shared values and ethics; (6) an Africa  
whose development is people-driven, relying on the potential of African people,  
especially its women and youth, and caring for children; (7) Africa as a strong,  
united and influential global player and partner. The Agenda 2063 maps out  
mid- and long-term strategic plans for Africas industrialization. In the mid-term,  
the proportion of manufacturing value added to GDP will increase over 50%  
compared to 2013; in the long run, the manufacturing value added will at least  
quintuple on the current basis.  
To respond to the Agenda 2063, African countries have jointly launched a series  
of energy and power development mechanisms, such as the Programme for  
Infrastructure Development in Africa (PIDA), the Africa Water Vision 2025, the  
Action Plans on Energy and the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI).  
These mechanisms have proposed clear goals and short-term action plans for  
joint development of clean energy.  
National objective. African countries have formulated their development plans  
and strategies, according to which countries, relying on abundant resources,  
work to extend industrial chain, increase added value of products, realize  
optimized coordinated development.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
08  
According to its Five-Year Development Plan (2017-2021), DR Congo has  
striven to develop infrastructure, energy, mining and processing industries,  
and advance the construction of 20 agricultural and industrial parks and 5  
special economic zones. According to the Vision 2050 of the Democratic  
Republic of Congo, DR Congo endeavors to join the ranks of middle-income  
countries by 2020, become an emerging economy by 2030, and achieve the  
industrial economy by 2050.  
DR Congo  
The Republic of Congo has actively implemented the policies of economic  
revitalization and diversification, so as to reduce its dependence on petroleum  
and coordinate the development of all industries. According to the National  
Development Plan (PND 2016-2020), the Republic of Congo plans to build  
itself into an emerging economy by 2025. To achieve this goal, the country  
focuses on the construction of special economic zones, especially the  
advancement of economic diversification and industrial development in these  
zones, so as to boost the economy.  
The  
Republic  
of Congo  
Following the Vision 2030, Egypt is working to combine together development and  
environmental protection, employment and labor quality improvement, making  
the economic growth align with the social and economic development in a fair,  
balanced and diversified manner. By 2030, Egypt is expected to reach the economic  
development objective. In detail, the annual average GDP growth rate will increase to  
7%, investment growth rate climb to 30%, exportscontribution to national economic  
growth go up to 25%, and unemployment rate fall to 5% and below.  
Egypt  
Nigeria has rolled out the economic recovery and development plan. Specially,  
it endeavors to increase power supply, accelerate the development of  
petroleum refining industry, push forward the industrialization process, support  
SMEsdevelopment, and bolster food self-sufficiency, etc.  
Nigeria  
Nigeria is committed to returning to the track of high GDP growth, with an  
average annual GDP growth rate of 4.6% in 2020.  
Guinea has developed the 2016-2020 National Economic and Social  
Development Plan, according to which, this country hopes to speed up the  
development and utilization of natural resources on the back of infrastructure  
development, so as to realize rapid economic growth again. According  
to detailed rules of the Guinean Mining Code, the country has worked  
to reorganize mineral resources companies, establish the VAT refund  
mechanism, roll out other measures, and improve mining development and  
governance measures; and prioritized to accelerate the construction of  
infrastructure, and launch an array of projects, such as the improvement of  
infrastructure in power and traffic sectors, national backbone transmission  
network building, railway construction, port dredging, and wharf renovation.  
Guinea  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
09  
1.1.3ꢀ DevelopmentꢀChallenges  
Power shortage remains an obstacle to the industrialization of Africa.  
First, the access to modern energy resources such as petroleum, natural gas  
and electricity is relatively low in Africa. On the whole, the power access rate in  
this continent stands at 52%, and that in two thirds of African countries is lower  
than 50%. To date, there are still about 600 million populations having no access  
to electricity, more than half of the worlds total population without electricity.  
Second, majority of African countries have poor power infrastructure, with quite  
limited installed electricity capacity and lower coverage, which leads to seriously  
unbalanced regional development. Poor infrastructure gives rise to severe  
power shortage. Some industrial parks cannot get access to electricity for more  
than 40 hours per month, which fails to guarantee the normal production and  
development of these parks, and severely hinders the industrial advancement  
of Africa. Power shortage has become an important factor to impede the  
industrialization process and the economic and social advancement of Africa.  
ꢅꢁꢂ  
ꢄꢁꢂ  
ꢃꢁꢂ  
ꢀꢁꢂ  
ꢁꢂ  
Figureꢀ1.2ꢀ CountriesꢀwithꢀtheꢀLowestꢀAccessꢀtoꢀElectricityꢀRateA  
Lower degree of industrial development limits economic value of Africas natural resources.  
Enormous clean energy resources. Africa is honored as a trensury of clean  
energy resources, where the reserves of hydrowater, solar and wind energies  
account for 12%, 40% and 32% of the total world account respectively. The  
theoretical reserve of hydropower resources of rivers in Africa is around 4,400  
TWh/year, and the technical potential exceeds 330 GW. Hydropower resource  
of this continent is mainly distributed in Congo River, Nile River, Zambezi River,  
Niger River and other rivers.  
Source: IEA.  
A
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
10  
/JMFꢀ3JWFS  
4FOFHBMꢀ  
3JWFS  
/JHFSꢀ3JWFS  
7PMUBꢀ3JWFS  
$POHPꢀ3JWFS  
;BNCF[Jꢀ3JWFS  
0SBOHFꢀ  
3JWFS  
Figureꢀ1.3ꢀ DistributionꢀofꢀMajorꢀWaterꢀSystemsꢀandꢀRiversꢀinꢀAfricaAꢀ  
Abundant mineral resources. The reserves of 14 major mineral resources, in  
particular, rank among the top in the world. The reserves of gold, phosphate and  
cobalt account for more than 50% of the worlds total respectively, those of iron,  
copper, zinc and aluminum over 20% of the worlds total, and that of manganese  
ore around 83%.  
Hydropower & dams in 2017 (The international journal on hydropower & dams)  
A
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
11  
Tunisia  
Morocco  
Algeria  
Libya  
Egypt  
Mauritania  
Mali  
Niger  
Cape  
Eritrea  
Chad  
Verde  
Gambia  
Senegal  
Sudan  
Djibouti  
Somalia  
Burkina Faso  
Benin  
Togo  
Guinea  
Nigeria  
Guinea-  
Bissau  
Sierra  
Leone  
Cote  
Ethiopia  
Ghana  
d'Ivoire  
South Sudan  
Uganda  
Central Africa  
Liberia  
Cameroon  
Swaziland  
Algeria  
Equatorial  
Guinea  
Kenya  
Gabon  
Congo  
Sao Tome  
and Principe  
Burundi  
Rwanda  
DR Congo  
Tanzania  
Seychelles  
Comorin  
Angola  
Malawi  
Mozambique  
Zambia  
Zimbabwe  
Madagascar  
Botswana  
Algeria  
Namibia  
Mauritius  
Lesotho  
South  
Africa  
Rare earth ore  
Lead zinc ore  
Nickel ore  
Phosphorus ore  
Iron ore  
Chromite  
Cobalt ore  
Gold ore  
Bauxite  
Diamond ore  
Copper ore  
Uranium ore  
Figureꢀ1.4ꢀ DistributionꢀofꢀMineralꢀResourcesꢀinꢀAfricaA  
However, lower-level industrialization and single industry structure of Africa limit  
the development and utilization of natural resources in the continent. As of 2018,  
only 10% of the available hydroelectric potential has been developed in Africa,  
and mineral exports (for foreign exchange earnings) are still dominated by raw  
ore, which show that the economic value of natural resources has been greatly  
reduced in the continent.  
2018, Geology in China, 45(5).  
A
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
12  
Limited consumption market is an obstacle to large-scale hydropower development.  
First, the large-scale centralized power demand is relatively low, together  
with limited market, this continent is lack of impetus to develop large power  
projects. Africa abounds with hydropower resources. Inga Hydropower, a third  
cascade hydropower station, for instance, will have the potentail of installed  
capacity up to 120 GW and an annual operating time of 7,000-8,000 hours.  
However, Africas industrialization is relatively low on the whole, and moreover,  
this continent is lack of high energy-consuming industries. This shows that  
limited consumption market has heavily blocked the hydropower development of  
Africa. Second, Africa has not established a coordinated cross-border market  
mechanism, in spite of huge market potential. In 2017, the population of 76% of  
African countries was less than 30 million respectively, and the GDP of around  
50% of countries was under 10 billion USD, which led to severe decentralization  
of commodities, labor and capitals. Meanwhile, the trade barriers such as tariff  
put up among African countries and poor infrastructure aggravate the market  
fragmentation in this continent.  
Inadequate credit assurance hinders the smooth implementation of large  
projects in Africa.  
Internally, African countries are confronted with a weak economic foundation, a  
relatively low domestic saving rate, a small available capital, imperfect financial  
systems including bank, insurance, security and guarantee, and single financing  
channels. Currently, the investment in Africas infrastructures is mainly from  
governments. However, the government financial revenue which is generally  
small in scale and slow in growth rate cannot meet the huge fund demand  
from the construction of large hydropower and industrialization projects.  
Internationally, with weak foundation, Africas finance market may pose many  
large risks from foreign exchange, taxation, market changes on international  
investors in this continent. Besides, an investment and financing model with  
African characteristics has not been shaped, and the current international  
investment falls far short of Africas development demand. On the one hand,  
Africas rich hydropower and mineral resources can serve as the main impetus  
driving Africas rapid development, on the other hand, inadequate funds  
and investment and financing difficulties have severely impeded the smooth  
implementation of large projects such as hydropower development in this  
continent.  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
13  
Although Africa abounds with hydropower, mineral and other natural resources  
and African countries have begun to set sight on advancing the industrialization,  
a sound financial system has not been established and a large-scale  
coordinated market not been built yet, which cannot provide solid support for the  
investment and financing in large projects and the effective development and  
utilization of renewable energy resources and minerals and the development  
of high value-added industries. From a macro perspective, this has further  
hampered the overall economic development process of African countries.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
14  
To meet the challenges facing Africas sustainable development, it is necessary  
to uphold the concept of Global Energy Interconnection (GEI), accelerate the  
construction of Africa Energy Interconnection, move faster in clean energy  
development and utilization and grid upgrade, realize orderly development of  
large hydropower, solar power, and wind power bases, and the coordinated  
development of clean energy and power grid, expand power supply scope in  
an overall manner, and enhance the reliability of power supply, so as to meet  
Africas energy and power demands in a clean and green way, and provide safe,  
clean, economical and efficient energy supply for Africas economic and social  
development.  
1.2  
General ideas  
of Africa energy  
interconnection  
As a platform for the development of clean energy at a global scale, GEI is a  
modern energy system for the global production, allocation, and utilization of  
clean energy across the globe. It is in essence the combination of “Smart Grid +  
UHV Grid + Clean Energy”. GEI will accelerate green, low-carbon development,  
protect the ecological environment of the earth, provide fundamental guarantee  
for clean development, and promote sustainable development of the world.  
Smart Grid  
GEI  
UHV  
Grid  
Clean  
Energy  
Africa Energy Interconnection is an important part of GEI and is crucial to the  
sustainable development of Africa. Overall thinking: Based on the urgent needs  
of modern energy for African economic and social development, greater efforts  
will be made to develop large hydropower bases in major drainage basins,  
wind and solar power bases in the south, north, and east, and various forms of  
distributed power sources, so as to resolve energy shortage from the source and  
reduce the use of primary biomass; efforts will be made to ensure local power  
needs and expand power delivery to other regions, accelerate the construction  
of backbone grids in all countries, push for cross-border, inter-regional, inter-  
continental power grid interconnection, leverage on the complementation of  
hydropower, wind power, and solar power resources in Africa, promote the  
large-scale development, wide-range allocation, and efficient utilization of clean  
energy; greater efforts will be made to deliver power access to all people, build  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
15  
and upgrade energy and power infrastructure, enhance electrification level  
and energy efficiency, lower the costs of energy and power, and ensure each  
and every one have access to sustainable energy. In general, greater efforts  
will be made to speed up the upgrade of power generation, allocation, and  
consumption, build Africa Energy Interconnection featuring close links within  
the continent, efficient interconnection with the outside, and the mutual supply  
and complementation of multiple energy sources. The objective is to build a  
major vehicle for African clean development and offer strong guarantee for the  
implementation of the UNs 2030 Agenda and the African Unions Agenda 2063.  
1.3  
Africa has great potential for energy demand. In 2050, primary energy demand  
will double that of 2015. By 2050, the total demand for primary energy will  
increase to 2.41 billion tons of standard coal, with an average annual growth  
rate of 2.2%. The demand for final energy will increase to 1.39 billion tons of  
standard coal, with an average annual growth rate of 1.5%, including 420, 180,  
and 740 million tons for industry, transportation, household, and service industry  
respectively.  
Development  
trend of energy  
and power in  
Africa  
ꢄꢂꢁꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢃꢂꢁꢀ  
ꢃꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢂꢁꢀ  
Coal  
Oil  
Natural gas  
Nuclear  
Hydro  
Biomass  
Other renewables  
ꢀꢁꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢃꢂ  
ꢄꢀꢄꢂ  
ꢄꢀꢅꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢆꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢂꢀ  
Figureꢀ1.5ꢀ ForecastꢀofꢀPrimaryꢀEnergyꢀDemandꢀinꢀAfrica  
Africa is witnessing fast increase of power demand. By 2050, its power demand  
and maximum load will be 6.3 and 5.6 times those in 2015 respectively. From  
2015 to 2050, Africas total power demand will increase from 600 TWh to 3,900  
TWh, with an average annual growth rate of 5.4%. The maximum load will  
increase from 120 GW to 690 GW, with an average annual growth rate of 5.0%.  
Per capita power consumption will increase from 534 kWh to 1,590 kWh per  
year, three times that in 2015.  
2015~2050  
averageꢀannualꢀgrowthꢀrateꢀofꢀ  
electricityꢀconsumptionꢀofꢀAfricaꢀis  
5.4%  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
16  
ꢅꢆꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢅꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢄꢆꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢄꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢃꢆꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢃꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢂꢆꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢂꢀꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢆꢀꢀꢀ  
ꢉꢁꢀ  
ꢈꢁꢀ  
ꢇꢁꢀ  
ꢆꢁꢀ  
ꢅꢁꢀ  
ꢄꢁꢀ  
ꢃꢁꢀ  
ꢂꢁꢀ  
ꢀꢁꢀ  
North Africa  
West Africa  
Central Africa  
East Africa  
Southern Africa  
Maximum load  
ꢃꢀꢂꢆ  
ꢃꢀꢄꢀ  
ꢃꢀꢅꢀ  
ꢃꢀꢆꢀ  
Figureꢀ1.6ꢀ PowerꢀDemandsꢀandꢀMaximumꢀLoadꢀinꢀAfricaꢀbyꢀRegion  
In the future, it is wise for Africa to accelerate the development of clean energy,  
and move faster to replace fossil energy power generation with clean power.  
It is expected that by 2025, wind and PV power generation will become more  
competitive than fossil energy; technologies for large-scale energy storage and  
power grid operation and control will realize fast development, enabling clean  
energy to become major power source at a faster pace. By 2030, the installed  
capacity of clean power will exceed 50%. By 2050, Africa will have 1 TW of  
installed clean power capacity, accounting for 77% of the total, including 570 GW  
of solar power, 280 GW of hydropower and 110 GW of wind power.  
1.4  
Development  
and Utilization  
of Clean Energy  
in Africa  
ꢂꢀꢀꢁ  
ꢊꢀꢁ  
ꢉꢀꢁ  
ꢈꢀꢁ  
ꢇꢀꢁ  
ꢆꢀꢁ  
ꢅꢀꢁ  
ꢄꢀꢁ  
ꢃꢀꢁ  
ꢂꢀꢁ  
ꢀꢁ  
Thermal power  
Hydropower  
Solar power  
Wind power  
Others (Include  
nuclear power)  
/PSUIꢋ"GSJDB  
8FTUꢋ"GSJDB  
$FOUSBMꢋ"GSJDB  
&BTUꢋ"GSJDB  
4PVUIFSOꢋ"GSJDB  
Figureꢀ1.7ꢀ MixꢀofꢀInstalledꢀPowerꢀCapacityꢀofꢀAfricaꢀbyꢀRegionꢀinꢀ2050  
Africas power supply capacity will be constantly improved for economic and  
social development. By 2050, Africa will have total installed power capacity of 1.3  
TW, with an average annual increase rate of 6.0%; per capita installed capacity  
will reach 0.5 kW, 3.7 times of that in 2015. North Africa will be the major region  
where installed power capacity will increase by the largest margin, namely 260  
GW, one quarter more than Africas total increase.  
In  
2050  
TotalꢀinstalledꢀCapacityꢀis  
TW  
1.3  
withꢀaverageꢀannualꢀgrowthꢀrateꢀofꢀ  
6.0%  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
17  
ꢅꢂ  
ꢅꢁ  
ꢅꢀ  
North Africa  
West Africa  
Central Africa  
East Africa  
Southern Africa  
ꢁꢀꢅꢆ  
ꢁꢀꢇꢀ  
ꢁꢀꢂꢀ  
ꢁꢀꢆꢀ  
Figureꢀ1.8ꢀ ForecastꢀofꢀInstalledꢀCapacityꢀinꢀAfricaꢀbyꢀRegion  
Considering the distribution and development conditions of clean energy  
resources and energy and power development plans of various countries in  
Africa, before 2050, it is planned to build four river hydropower bases, 21 solar  
power bases and 12 wind power bases, with a total technologically feasible  
capacity of about 3.33 TW and a planned installed capacity of about 690 GW by  
2050.  
Inꢀ  
2050  
plannedꢀinstalledꢀcapacityꢀisꢀ  
GW  
690  
Figureꢀ1.9ꢀ DistributionꢀofꢀCleanꢀEnergyꢀBasesꢀinꢀAfrica  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
18  
With the coordinated consideration of resources and power demand, West  
Africa and Southern Africa will become the main load centers. Central Africa and  
North Africa will be the main generation bases through large-scale development  
of hydropower and solar power. East Africa will meet the demand through the  
Nile River hydropower firstly and gradually convert to a load center in the long  
term. Based on the analysis of power and energy balance of each region, the  
future power flow in Africa is generally in the pattern of Central Africa exporting  
power to North and Southern Africa, and realizing mutual complementation with  
Asia and Europe. The inter-continental and inter-regional power flow will reach  
150 GW, including 50 GW of inter-continental flow; In terms of inter-regional  
power flow, the Congo River and Nile River will deliver 75 GW and 16 GW of  
hydropower to other regions respectively.  
1.5  
Overall Pattern  
of African  
Power Grid  
Interconnection  
TotalꢀPowerꢀflowꢀis  
GW  
1500  
inꢀwhichꢀinter-continentalꢀ  
powerꢀflowꢀis  
GW  
500  
Figure1.10ꢀ SchematicDiagramofInter-continentalandInter-regionalPowerFlowofꢀ  
AfricaꢀEnergyꢀInterconnectionꢀinꢀ2050ꢀ(Unit:ꢀGW)ꢀ  
In the future, three synchronous power grids will be gradually formed, which  
are North Africa power grid, Central and West Africa power grid, and East and  
Southern Africa power grid. Inter-regional power grid interconnection will be  
realized through UHV.  
Synchronous power grids in North Africa: The voltage level will be upgraded to  
1000 kV, and west-east 1000 kV AC channel will be built to connect large solar  
power bases and load centers in North Africa, making the region an important  
energy allocation platform connecting Asia, Europe, and Africa.  
Two synchronous power grids in Central and West Africa, and East and  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
19  
Southern Africa: Internal 765/400 kV AC backbone grids will be built to form a  
regional platform for the optimal allocation of clean energy. Power of large clean  
energy bases within the regions will be sent to major load centers through EHV/  
UHV DC Transmission.  
Building inter-continental grids connecting Africa, Europe, and Asia: Three  
transmission channels in the west, central region, and the east across  
Mediterranean will be built to transmit hydropower in Central Africa and solar  
power in North Africa to Europe; Africa-West Asia interconnection channel will  
be built to realize large-scale optimal allocation of clean energy.  
(FSNBOZ  
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dꢅꢅꢁꢁꢂL7ꢂ%$ꢂ-JOF  
Figureꢀ1.11ꢀ OverallꢀLayoutꢀofꢀAfricanꢀPowerꢀInterconnection  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
20  
The Africa Energy Interconnection shall take initial shape by 2030. Inter-  
regional synchronous grid interconnection will be realized between East  
Africa and Southern Africa, as well as West Africa and Central Africa.  
Meanwhile, intercontinental grid interconnection will be realized among  
Asia, Europe and Africa. Based on the ever-intensified grids in each  
country and region, in terms of intra-continental interconnection, the DR  
Congo-Guinea, DR Congo-Zambia, Ethiopia-South Africa, the Republic  
of Congo-Nigeria and Cameroon-Nigeria DC projects will be constructed,  
to transmit hydropower of Inga of the Congo River, the Sanaga River,  
and the Nile River to load centers in West and Southern Africa. In terms  
of inter-continental interconnection, Morocco-Portugal and Tunisia-Italy  
DC projects will be constructed to transmit solar power of North Africa to  
Europe, interconnecting Africa and Europe; Saudi Arabia-Egypt DC project  
will be constructed to realize interconnection between Asia and Africa.  
2030  
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dꢅꢅꢁꢁꢂL7ꢂ%$ꢂ-JOF  
4BVEJ  
"SBCJB  
Figureꢀ1.12ꢀ AfricanꢀPowerꢀGridꢀInterconnectionꢀbyꢀ2030  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
21  
By 2040, Africa will form “one-horizontal and two-vertical” backbone  
power grids, further strengthening inter-continental grid interconnection  
channels. In terms of intra-continental interconnection, the DR Congo-  
Nigeria and the Republic of Congo-Ghana DC projects will be constructed  
to expand transmission scale of hydropower of the Congo River; 1000  
kV AC transmission channel across five countries in North Africa will  
be constructed, to connect large solar power bases and load centers,  
and connect with grids in West Asia and realize mutual supply and  
complementation between North Africa and West Asia. In terms of inter-  
continental interconnection, three-terminal (Egypt-Greece-Italy) DC  
project and Algeria-France DC project will be constructed to further expand  
the transmission scale of solar power from North Africa to Europe; Saudi  
Arabia-Egypt and Ethiopia-Saudi Arabia DC projects will be constructed to  
improve interconnection among North Africa, East Africa and West Asia.  
2040  
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Figureꢀ1.13ꢀ AfricanꢀPowerꢀGridꢀInterconnectionꢀbyꢀ2040  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
22  
By 2050, with strong energy interconnection taking shape, Africa will be  
home to “two-horizontal and two-vertical” backbone power grids, further  
expanding the interconnection scale across Asia, Europe and Africa. In terms  
of intra-continental interconnection, the 1,000 kV AC power transmission  
channel of North Africa and 765/400 kV AC main power grids of other regions  
shall be further improved. North, Central & West and East & Southern  
Africa synchronous power grids will form a strong backbone power grid. DC  
interconnection among synchronous power grids will be constantly improved  
and the DR Congo-South Africa, DR Congo-Guinea two-circuit, DR Congo-  
Morocco, DR Congo-Ethiopia, and Ethiopia-Egypt, and other DC projects will  
be built; the hydropower delivery scale of Congo River will be further expanded,  
and the hydropower of East Africa and solar power of North Africa will realize  
mutual supply. In terms of inter-continental interconnection, Morocco-  
Spain and Algeria-France-Germany, and Egypt-Turkey DC projects will be  
constructed to transmit hydropower of Congo River, after co-regulated with  
solar power of North Africa, to the load centers of continental Europe.  
2050  
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Figureꢀ1.14ꢀ AfricanꢀPowerꢀGridꢀInterconnectionꢀbyꢀ2050  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
23  
1.6.1ꢀ WestꢀAfrica  
1.6  
In the future, priority will be given to the development of hydropower along  
the Niger River, the Senegal River, the Gambia River, etc., and to the gradual  
development of large solar power bases in Niger, Nigeria, Mali, and Mauritania.  
Through the coordinated development of power generation and power grids,  
the power infrastructure of each country will be strengthened, the coverage of  
power grids will be expanded, power supply capability, safety, and reliability will  
be greatly improved, and more people will have access to power. Meanwhile,  
efforts will be made to accelerate the power grid interconnection in West  
Africa by building a synchronous power grid of West Africa, to support power  
transmission and distribution, as well as wide-range optimal allocation for clean  
energy bases, and receive hydropower of Congo River and Sanaga River in  
Central Africa. Complementation among hydropower, wind power, and solar  
power will be achieved to meet the power demand for the co-development of  
power, mining, metallurgy, industry and trade in the region.  
Planning of  
Regional  
Power Grid  
Interconnection  
By 2030, electricity consumption in West Africa will reach 340 TWh, with a peak  
load of 62 GW and an installed capacity of 100 GW. By 2040, the electricity  
consumption of the region will reach 630 TWh, with a peak load of 110 GW and  
an installed capacity of 160 GW. By 2050, it will reach 950 TWh, with a peak  
load of 160 GW and an installed capability of 240 GW.  
WestꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
WestꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
950  
160  
240  
340  
62  
100  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
WestꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
630  
110  
160  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
Unified strong synchronous grid will be built in West Africa to connect a wide  
range of large clean energy bases and load centers, to realize safe, reliable,  
economical, efficient, large-scale, optimal allocation of energy resources within  
Regionally  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
24  
the region and beyond. Efforts will be made to build 765/330 KVone horizontal  
and three verticaland 765/225 KVthree horizontal and two verticalbackbone  
grids in the east and west respectively, and upgrade 330KV main grids in the  
east and 225KV main grids in the west to multi-loop and multi-circuit structure.  
Grids of all levels will realize effective connection and coordinated development,  
connecting with large clean energy bases, and covering mining industrial parks,  
capital economic circles, coastal economic belts, and other load centers, and  
realizing clean, reliable, economical energy and power supply.  
Cameroon-Nigeria ±660 kV DC project will be built to receive 4GW hydropower  
of Sanaga River of Central Africa; the Republic of Congo-Nigeria ±660 DC  
project will be built to receive 4GW hydropower of Congo River; DR Congo-  
Nigeria ±800 kV DC project will be built to receive 8GW hydropower of Congo  
River; the Republic of Congo-Ghana ±800 kV DC project will be built to receive  
8GW hydropower of Congo River; DR Congo-Guinea ±800 kV two-circuit DC  
project will be built to receive 16GW hydropower of Congo River, to support  
the aluminum, steel, and other industries of Guinea; Numan, Nigeria-Garoua,  
Cameroon 400 kV two-circuit AC project will be built to form synchronous grids  
with Central Africa.  
Inter-regionally  
1.6.2ꢀSouthernꢀAfrica  
The future development of Southern African power grid will focus on  
strengthening grid interconnection, meeting the needs of large-scale optimized  
allocation of clean energy power, constructing a strong main grid that connects  
regional clean energy bases and load centers, improving regional power  
exchange capability and power supply reliability, and expanding coverage of grid  
interconnection and overall accessibility of electricity in the region. At the same  
time, inter-regional complementation of clean power (such as hydropower)  
with East Africa and Central Africa will be strengthened to achieve multi-energy  
complementary and efficient utilization and meet the growing power demand in  
Southern Africa.  
By 2030, electricity consumption in Southern Africa will reach 530 TWh, with a  
peak load of 92 GW and an installed capacity of 130 GW. By 2040, the electricity  
consumption in this region will reach 730 TWh, with a peak load of 130 GW and  
an installed capacity of 200 GW. By 2050, it will reach 940 TWh, with a peak load  
of 170 GW and an installed capability of 290 GW.  
Angola-Namibia-South Africa, Mozambique-South Africa 765 kV AC, Zambia-  
Zimbabwe-Botswana-South Africa 400 kV AC longitudinal transmission  
channels and Botswana-Namibia 400 kV latitudinal transmission channels will  
be built to send wind and solar power of Namibia and Mozambique, hydropower  
of Zambezi River, and solar power of Botswana to South Africa, to form 400/765  
kV AC synchronous power grids in Southern Africa.  
Regionally  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
25  
SouthernꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
SouthernꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
TWh  
ꢀGW  
940  
170  
290  
530  
92  
130  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
GW  
SouthernꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
730  
130  
200  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
Interconnection with East Africa will be intensified; Ethiopia-South Africa ±800 kV DC  
project will be built to transmit hydropower of Nile River to load centers in South  
Africa; DR Congo-Angola 400 kV AC interconnected lines will be constructed  
to receive hydropower of Congo River; DR Congo-South Africa, the Republic  
of Congo-South Africa ±800 kV DC projects will be built to send hydropower of  
Congo River to load centers in South Africa. Tanzania-Zambia interconnection  
lines of 400 kV AC will be built to form synchronous power grids in East and  
Southern Africa.  
Inter-regionally  
1.6.3ꢀ CentralꢀAfrica  
The future development of Central Africa power grid will focus on improving  
the power grid coverage and promoting cross-border and inter-regional  
interconnection. In order to meet the development and power transmission  
needs of hydropower bases in the Congo River, the Sanaga River and the  
Ogooué River Basins, a strong main power grid connecting to the clean energy  
base and the regional load centers will be constructed. Power grid coverage and  
regional power exchange capacity will be improved to realize long-distance and  
large-scale allocation of hydropower. Advantages of clean energy resources will  
be transformed into economic advantages.  
By 2030, electricity consumption in Central Africa will reach 108 TWh, with  
a peak load of 18.6 GW and an installed capacity of 49.2 GW. By 2040, the  
electricity consumption in this region will reach 202 TWh, with a peak load of  
35.2 GW and an installed capacity of 84 GW. By 2050, it will reach 342 TWh,  
with a peak load of 61.4 GW and an installed capability of 160 GW.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
26  
CentralꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
CentralꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
342  
61.4  
160  
108  
18.60  
49.20  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
CentralꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
202  
35.2  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
84  
D.R. Congo-Gabon-Cameroon 765 kV longitudinal transmission channel will  
be constructed, and will then be extended to Equatorial Guinea, Chad, and  
Central African Republic through 400 kV and 225 kV AC lines. D.R. Congo-R.  
Congo-Cameroon transmission channel of 400 kV AC lines will be built to form  
two east-west transmission passages and regional synchronous power grids of  
765/400/225 kV, aiming at strengthening AC backbone grids between countries  
and covering hydropower bases and load centers in the region.  
Regionally  
Focusing on the consumption of the Inga 3 hydropower, D.R. Congo-R. Congo  
and D.R. Congo-Angola 400 kV AC lines will be built, forming a looped network  
with Inga Hydropower at its center in the south of Central Africa. Cameroon-  
Nigeria two-circuit 400 kV interconnection lines will be built to establish  
synchronous power grids of AC lines in Central and West Africa. Cameroon-  
Nigeria and R. Congo-Nigeria two-circuit ±660 kV DC projects will be  
constructed. And ±800 kV DC projects (D.R. Congo-Nigeria, Inga-Lubumbashi  
in D.R. Congo, R. Congo-Ghana, R. Congo-South Africa) will be built, aiming  
at transmitting hydropower of Congo River and Sanaga River to West Africa  
to satisfy local electricity demand for economic development and mining. D.R.  
Congo-Ethiopia ±800 kV DC project will be constructed, and thus relying on  
hydropower of Congo River, it will facilitate mutual power supply between the  
East and North Africa. D.R. Congo-Morocco ±1,100 kV of ultra-high voltage  
DC (UHVDC) project will be built to transmit hydropower of Inga Hydropower  
and solar power of North Africa to Europe.  
Inter-regionally  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
27  
1.6.4ꢀ EastꢀAfrica  
The future development of power grid in East Africa will focus on strengthening  
the interconnection between northern and southern power grids and improving  
the power grid coverage. In order to realize large-scale development and  
complementation of various clean energy resources in East Africa, such as  
hydro energy, solar energy, wind energy and geothermal energy, a strong  
backbone power grid will be constructed to connect the northern Nile River  
hydropower base, the Sudan solar powerbase, the Ethiopia wind powerbase,  
the southern Rufiji River hydropower base, the Kenya geothermal powerbase,  
and various regional load centers to improve the power grid coverage and the  
power exchange capability between the north and the south within the region.  
At the same time, this region will be interconnected with Southern Africa to  
make full use of the complementary characteristics of cross-basin water energy  
during the rainy and dry seasons, interconnected with Central Africa to receive  
hydropower from the Congo River hydropower plant, and interconnected with  
West Asia to transmit the hydropower from the Nile River hydropower plant to  
Saudi Arabia in West Asia.  
By 2030, electricity consumption in East Africa will reach 120 TWh, with a peak  
load of 23 GW and an installed capacity of 65 GW. By 2040, the electricity  
consumption of the region will reach 270 TWh, with a peak load of 52 GW and  
an installed capacity of 180 GW. By 2050, it will reach 440 TWh, with a peak  
load of 87 GW and an installed capability of 250 GW.  
In the north, Sudan-Ethiopia 500 kV AC channel and Ethiopia-Eritrea 220 kV AC  
channel will be built, and Ethiopia-Djibouti 220 kV AC line will be strengthened. In  
the south, a looped network of 400 kV AC (Burundi-Uganda-Kenya-Tanzania-  
Rwanda) will be established, which will form two regional power grids in the  
northern and southern regions with Ethiopia and Kenya as interface. Ethiopia-  
Kenya 765 kV AC transmission channel and±500 kV DC project will be built,  
together realizing the complementation between hydropower of Nile River in the  
north and geothermal power at Great Rift Valley in the south.  
Regionally  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
28  
EastꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
EastꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
440  
87  
250  
120  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
23  
65  
EastꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
270  
52  
180  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
Ethiopia-South Africa ±800 kV DC project will be built to transmit hydropower of Nile  
River to load centers in South Africa. Ethiopia-Saudi Arabia ±660 kV DC project will  
be constructed to realize power grid interconnection between East Africa and West  
Asia. D.R. Congo-Ethiopia, Ethiopia-Egypt 800 kV DC projects will be constructed to  
realize grid interconnection between East, Central and North Africa. Tanzania-Zambia  
interconnection lines of 400 kV AC will be built to form synchronous power grids of  
765/500/400 kV AC between East and Southern Africa.  
Inter-regionally  
1.6.5ꢀ NorthꢀAfrica  
In the future, North Africa will focus on the development of large-scale solar  
power bases, and develop wind power along the coastlines of Mediterranean,  
Atlantic and Red Sea, with gas-fired power generation to promote clean and low-  
carbon development of power supply. At the same time, by making full use of  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
29  
the geographical advantages as it is located between Asia, Africa and Europe, a  
regional clean energy hub platform will be created to receive clean energy electricity  
from West Asia and Africa and then to send it across the Mediterranean to Europe.  
By 2030, electricity consumption in North Africa will reach 690 TWh, with a peak  
load of 120 GW and an installed capacity of 150 GW. By 2040, the electricity  
consumption in this region will reach 900 TWh, with a peak load of 170 GW and  
an installed capacity of 230 GW. By 2050, it will reach 1200 TWh, with a peak  
load of 220 GW and an installed capability of 360 GW.  
Two-circuit 1,000 kV AC channels will be built to boost the gathering capacity  
of solar energy power of bases in Zhage, Aigewate, Ouargla, Josh, Minya and  
Aswan, and further strengthen regional 400/500 kV power grids to form a strong  
AC interconnection power grid in North Africa.  
Regionally  
Morocco-Portugal ±500 kV DC will be built to transmit 3 GW solar power to  
Portugal. Tunisia-Italy ±800 kV DC will be constructed to transmit 8 GW solar  
power to Italy. Egypt-Greece-Italy ±800 kV three-terminal DC project will be  
constructed to transmit 4 GW power to Greece and Italy respectively. Algeria-  
France ±800 kV DC project will transmit 8 GW power to Toulouse in France.  
Saudi Arabia-Egypt ±660 kV DC Project will meet the need of Tabuk in Saudi  
Arabia to transmit its 4 GW solar power outside for consumption. D.R. Congo-  
Morocco ±1,100 kV DC will be built, helping Inga Hydropower transmit 10 GW  
hydropower to Morocco. As it realizes complementation with solar power in  
Morocco, 4 GW power will then be transmitted to Madrid in Spain through  
Morocco-Spain ±660 kV DC line. Algeria-France-German ±800 kV three-  
terminal DC project will be constructed to transmit 4 GW power to Lyons and  
Frankfurt in German respectively. Egypt-Turkey ±660 kV DC project will be  
constructed to transmit 4 GW power from solar power bases in Egypt to Turkey.  
Inter-regionally  
NorthꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
PWh  
GW  
GW  
NorthꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
1.2  
220  
360  
690  
120  
150  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
NorthꢀAfrica-Electricity:ꢀꢀ  
TWh  
GW  
GW  
900  
170  
230  
PeakꢀDemand:ꢀ  
InstalledꢀCapacity:ꢀ  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
30  
1.7.1ꢀ MajorꢀPowerꢀProjects  
1.7  
Major  
Interconnection  
Projects  
Barrageꢀdam  
1#ꢀSluiceꢀgate  
2#ꢀSluiceꢀgate  
SIKILAꢀSecondaryꢀdam  
(Ingaꢀ1,ꢀ2ꢀWaterꢀsupplyꢀfacility)  
The Cong River  
MATAMABA  
Secondaryꢀdam  
Ingaꢀ1  
Ingaꢀ2  
Ingaꢀ3  
Ingaꢀ4  
Ingaꢀ6  
Ingaꢀ5  
Figureꢀ1.15ꢀ TheꢀIngaꢀHydropowerꢀProjectꢀLayout  
Inga hydropower project  
01  
with a total installed capacity of 60 GW is located at the Congo  
River of D. R. Congo, of which Inga hydropower phase 1 and 2  
have already been constructed with installed capacities of 350 MW  
and 1,430 MW respectively. Phase 3 to 6 will be installed with a  
capacity exceeding 58 GW. The annual generation hours will be  
more than 6,500 hours.  
Linzolo hydropower project  
02  
with an installed capacity of 3 GW is located at the Congo River  
of R. Congo and planned to be constructed by 2050.  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
31  
Pioka hydropower Project  
03  
with an installed capacity of 35 GW is located at the border of Congo  
River flowing through D.R. Congo and R. Congo and planned to be  
constructed by 2050.  
Matadi hydropower project  
04  
05  
06  
07  
08  
09  
10  
with an installed capacity of 14 GW is located at the Congo River of D. R.  
Congo and planned to be constructed by 2070.  
The Grand Renaissance Dam project  
with a total installed capacity of 6.45 GW is located at the Nile River of  
Ethiopia and planned to be constructed by 2025.  
Gibe IV hydropower project  
with an installed capacity of 1.47 GW is located at the Nile River of  
Ethiopia and planned to be constructed by 2030.  
Tams hydropower project  
with an installed capacity of 1 GW is located at the Nile River of Ethiopia  
and planned to be constructed by 2030.  
Upper Mandaya hydropower project  
with an installed capacity of 1.7 GW is located at the Nile River of  
Ethiopia and planned to be constructed by 2040.  
Batoka gorge hydropower project  
with an installed capacity of 1.6 GW is located at the Zambezi River of  
Zambia and planned to be constructed by 2030.  
M.Nkuwa hydropower project  
with an installed capacity of 2.4 GW is located at the Zambezi River of  
Mozambique and planned to be constructed by 2040.  
Grand Eweng hydropower project  
11  
with an installed capacity of 1.8 GW is located at the Sanaga River of  
Cameroon and planned to be constructed by 2030.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
32  
1.7.2ꢀ MajorꢀGridꢀInterconnectionꢀProject  
By 2050, 12 inter-regional DC projects will be constructed to deliver totally 85 GW power. 9 inter-continental DC  
projects will be constructed to deliver totally 54 GW power, of which the transmission capacity of Africa-  
Europe channels will be 43 GW. And 5 cross-border AC transmission corridor projects will be constructed,  
with a total length of about 25,000 kilometers.  
Tableꢀ1.1ꢀ MajorꢀInter-regionalꢀGridꢀInterconnectionꢀProjects  
Transmission Capacity  
(10 MW)  
Length  
(km)  
Investment  
S/N  
1
Project  
Completion Time  
2030  
(0.1 billion USD)  
Cameroon-Nigeria  
±660 kV DC Line  
400  
800  
1100  
4500  
15  
74  
D.R. Congo-Guinea  
±800 kV Three-terminal DC  
Project Phase I  
2
3
2030  
2030  
D.R. Congo-Zambia  
±800 kV Three-terminal DC  
Project  
800  
2200  
44  
R. Congo-Nigeria  
4
5
400  
800  
800  
800  
800  
800  
800  
1000  
800  
2000  
2800  
2000  
2800  
4500  
3800  
4000  
6500  
1900  
23  
45  
38  
45  
70  
54  
56  
94  
37  
2030  
2030  
2040  
2040  
2050  
2050  
2050  
2050  
2050  
±660 kV DC Project  
Ethiopia-South Africa  
±800 kV DC Project  
D.R. Congo-Nigeria  
±800 kV DC Project  
6
R. Congo-Ghana  
7
±800 kV DC Project  
D.R. Congo-Guinea  
8
±800 kV DC Project Phase II  
D.R. Congo-South Africa  
±800 kV DC Project  
9
D.R. Congo-Ethiopia  
±800 kV DC Project  
10  
11  
12  
D.R. Congo-Morocco  
±1,100 kV DC Project  
Ethiopia-Egypt  
±800 kV DC Project  
1
Africa energy interconnection promotes sustainable development in Africa  
33  
Tableꢀ1.2ꢀ MajorꢀCross-borderꢀGridꢀInterconnectionꢀProjects  
S/N  
Project  
Transmission Capacity  
(10 MW)  
Length  
(km)  
Investment  
Completion Time  
(0.1 billion USD)  
Morocco-Portugal  
1
2
3
300  
800  
400  
260  
1300  
2000  
12  
44  
22  
2030  
2030  
2030  
±500 kV DC Project  
Tunisia-Italy  
±800 kV DC Project  
Ethiopia-Saudi Arabia  
±660 kV DC Project  
Egypt-Greece-Italy  
±800 kV Three-terminal DC  
Project  
4
800  
1700  
104  
2040  
Algeria-France  
5
6
7
8
9
800  
400  
400  
400  
800  
1400  
700  
87  
14  
2040  
2040  
2050  
2050  
2050  
±800 kV DC Project  
Saudi Arabia-Egypt  
±660 kV DC Project  
Morocco-Spain  
1800  
1100  
2400  
20  
±660 kV DC Project  
Egypt-Turkey  
50  
±660 kV DC Project  
Algeria-France-German  
±800 kV DC Project  
103  
Tableꢀ1.3ꢀ MajorꢀCross-borderꢀACꢀCorridorꢀProjects  
Length  
(km)  
Investment  
S/N  
1
Project  
Completion Time  
2030  
(0.1 billion USD)  
North Africa  
6920  
3110  
5300  
5800  
3810  
187.5  
34.4  
45.2  
78.7  
43.1  
1,000 kV AC Corridor Project  
West Africa  
2
2030  
765 kV AC Corridor Project  
East Africa  
3
2030  
765/500 kV AC Corridor Project  
Southern Africa  
4
2030  
765/400 kV AC Corridor Project  
Central Africa  
5
2030  
765 KV AC Corridor Project  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
34  
A New Model for the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing  
and Trade  
2
In order to tackle its development dilemma and realize sustainable development  
goals, it is important for Africa to emancipate the mind, innovate new models,  
and accelerate the development of natural resources. The co-development  
of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade is an overall plan  
proposed for the sustainable economic and social development considering  
Africa's advantages in resource endowments and its specific development  
stage. It aims to leverage on Africas resources, industrial, and regional  
advantages to establish demonstration zones and generate irradiation effects, in  
a way to help Africa gear onto a fast track of development.  
2.1  
Content and  
Content: The co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade suggests: Rely on regional endowments, vigorously develop regional  
clean energy resources, strengthen power grid construction, ensure sufficient  
and reliable power supply for industrial development, take metallurgical industry as  
the leading force to drive the development of the whole industrial chain, form an  
integrated development pattern of mining, smelting and deep processing, innovate  
investment and financing modes, expand the scale of regional and international  
trade, improve the export earning capacity, and realize co-development of  
electricity, mining, metallurgy, processing manufacturing and trade. The model can  
effectively solve the problems oflack of electricityin mineral development and  
industrial parks,lack of marketin electric power development,lack of creditin  
project financing, andlack of guaranteein investment returns. Thus it is able to  
transform resource advantages into economic advantages, and ensure sustainable  
economic and social development.  
Basic Ideas  
Basic Ideas: In the model of co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade, electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade  
form a virtuous circle of economic development. While giving full play to the potential  
of each elements in the chain of integrated development, the model breaks through  
the barriers among the isolated elements to fully explore the synergy, so as to solve  
the dilemma of economic development.  
Electricity  
Trade  
Mining  
Basic Ideas  
Manufacturing  
Metallurgy  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
36  
Large-scale clean energy development will ensure adequate, reliable power  
supply for economic development.  
Relying on regional resource endowment, great efforts will be made to develop  
clean energy, build a host of large clean energy bases, and intensify the  
construction of cross-border, trans-regional UHV/EHV transmission passages  
and local grids, so as to realize large-scale allocation and mutual supply and  
complementation of clean energy, and provide adequate, reliable power supply for  
Africas sustainable development.  
Electricity  
The potential of mineral resources will be released to promote the upgrade  
and optimization of industrial mix.  
In regions with abundant mineral resources but poor processing conditions,  
greater efforts will be made to shift the export of ore products into the  
export of high added-value products, and introduce advanced equipment,  
production and organization mode, in an attempt to enhance industrial value.  
Mining  
Metallurgy industry will be harnessed as a starter to build the chain of  
integrated development.  
With rich natural resources and the easy access to raw materials, centralized,  
effective, specialized industrial sectors will be formed; scale advantages will  
be harnessed to enhance the international competitiveness of mining and  
metallurgy enterprises, to shape a development pattern integrating mining,  
metallurgy, and deep processing and drive the development of the whole  
industrial chain.  
Metallurgy  
Industrial parks will be used as a vehicle to realize intensive economic  
development.  
With energy and mining enterprises as a starting point and industrial park  
construction as main driver, efforts will be made to develop front-end R&D  
and design, mining, mineral separation and metallurgy of upper and middle  
streams, and processing of downstream, enable the cluster of production  
factors and industry, leverage on the intensive advantages of industrial parks,  
and form a modern industrial system at a faster pace.  
Manufacturing  
Trade will drive integration and industrialization.  
Efforts will be made to tap the potential of markets within and outside regions,  
and realize mutual promotion between trade and industry. When trade is  
used as a means to optimize allocation, on one hand, it can resolve market  
fragmentation and accelerate regional integration; on the other hand, it will make  
local industry get integrated into global market, industrial and value chains,  
enhance the capacity of earning foreign exchange through exports, and gear  
local industry onto the track of industrialization at an earlier date.  
Trade  
2
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
37  
Innovation mode of aggregating superior resources. Africa enjoys rich natural  
resources and low labor costs but is weak in capital and technology. Resource-  
intensive and labor-intensive industries in line with Africas comparative  
advantages are priority areas for Africa to integrate into the international market  
and participate in international competition. The model of co-development of  
electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade is to combine Africas  
rich resource advantages, low labor costs and broad market space, to extend  
the mining industry chain, and achieve the doubling of the added value of  
natural resources. In addition, favorable conditions such as a vast market,  
the continuous optimization of infrastructure, and external forces driving the  
worlds industrial transfer all provide opportunities for Africa to accelerate its  
manufacturing development and industrialization.  
2.2  
Significance  
Optimal solution to financing problems. Due to lack of credit and security, financing  
difficulties are the biggest problem facing project development in developing countries .  
Innovative financing mode and aggregating superior resources are the key to break  
the financing difficulties. First, giving full play to the advantages of the industrial chain,  
integrating the resources of all parties, improving the credibility of the project and relying  
on the credit of the core enterprises in the industrial chain and taking the good cash flow  
expectation of energy and industrial projects as the revenue basis, a benefit distribution  
mechanism of risk sharing and revenue sharing is formed through the signing of long-  
term contracts among power generation, transmission and consumption parties.  
Second, make full use of the international capital market to form a diversified investment  
and financing system with a wide range of finance sources and flexible investment  
methods to support the sustainable development chain.  
Critical period for development. Industrialization is the only way to realize  
modernization, and co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade in essence is the integrated development of industries.  
At present, African countries havent completed the process of industrialization,  
which is the fundamental reason why they lag behind other continents. In  
order to achieve sustainable development, Africa must vigorously develop the  
manufacturing industry, create sufficient jobs, improve production efficiency  
and fundamentally get rid of poverty. Countries that give priority to the co-  
development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade will take  
the lead in seizing the opportunity of the new round of global industrial transfer.  
African governments should play a coordinating role, and actively guide industrial  
development, so that the industries can stand out as soon as possible and take  
the lead in global industrial transfer.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
38  
Developing advantageous industries and building demonstration regions. First,  
giving priority to the development of metallurgical industries and considering  
the reserves and distribution of mineral resources in Africa, Africa will focus  
on the development of steel, electrolytic aluminum, refined copper and other  
metallurgical sub-industries. Second, based on the geographical advantages  
and combined with factors such as mineral base, transportation hub and  
industrial development foundation, Africa will focus on building a number of  
mining and metallurgy processing demonstration industrial parks to lead the  
development of the metallurgical industry in Africa. Africa can build multi-  
type industrial parks, such as metallurgy, downstream manufacturing and  
logistics, and increase support for high-quality manufacturing industries such  
as household appliances, construction, automobiles, and electronic equipment,  
giving full play to the radiating effect of industrial parks.  
2.3  
Planning  
Through large-scale development of clean energy and the interconnection of  
power grids, the power demand for economic growth will be ensured. According  
to the output planning of major metallurgical products, it is estimated that the  
power demand in metallurgical industry in Africa will reach 160.6 TWh, 333.8  
TWh and 543.4 TWh in 2030, 2040 and 2050 respectively. Among them, the  
power demand in the metallurgical industry in West Africa will reach 97.3 TWh,  
196.6 TWh and 309.9 TWh respectively, significantly exceeding the existing  
power generation capacity. Africa will coordinate the development of clean  
energy and the interconnection of power grids to form a virtuous circle in which  
power development has a market and project revenue is guaranteed.  
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Figureꢀ2.1ꢀ PathsꢀforꢀCo-developmentꢀofꢀElectricity,ꢀMining,ꢀMetallurgy,ꢀManufacturingꢀandꢀTradeꢀinꢀAfrica  
2
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
39  
2.3.1ꢀ West Africa  
First, West Africa enjoys sound growth momentum. From 2013 to 2017, the  
average economic growth rate in West Africa reached 4.6%. In 2017, the total  
GDP of West Africa stood at around 553.8 billion USD, 24% of African total.  
Second, West Africa is blessed with rich mineral resources. West Africa is home  
to some 45.2 billion tons of bauxite reserves, over 60% of global total; around  
64 billion tons of iron ore reserves, about 8% of global total; 170 million tons of  
manganese ore reserves, around 25% of the worlds total.  
Development  
Foundation  
A demonstration zone featuring the co-development of electricity, mining,  
metallurgy, manufacturing and trade will be established. Efforts will be made to  
fully tap into the resources advantages and prime location of West Africa, and  
pursue the co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade in a flexible manner. With mining and metallurgy as foundation and  
industrial parks as driver, three economic belts will be built in Gulf of Guinea,  
west coast, and Niger River to advance the industrialization of West Africa.  
Development  
Priorities  
Three economic belts will be shaped for coordinated development. Gulf  
of Guinea Economic Belt: Priority will be given to steel, aluminum, gold,  
petrochemical industry, mechanical engineering, auto, textile, and other  
industries, seeking to shape new models of modern industry in West Africa  
and make the region part of global value chain. West Coast Economic Belt:  
Priority will be given to aluminum, steel, logistics, finance, food processing,  
and e-commerce, and the prime location of ports will be harnessed to shape a  
development pattern featuring coordination between light and heavy industries,  
and co-existence of conventional and emerging industries. Niger River  
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Figureꢀ2.2ꢀ IndustrialꢀPlanningꢀandꢀEconomicꢀBeltsꢀofꢀWestꢀAfrica  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
40  
Economic Belt: Niger River, as a golden waterway, will be leveraged to develop  
phosphorite, gold, uranium, and other resources; efforts will be made to develop  
chemical engineering, textile, food processing, cultural tourism, and other  
industries to build an inland development demonstration zone.  
By  
2050  
Mining and metallurgy industries are the cores to leverage industrialization.  
Considering mineral reserves and production capacity in West Africa, priority  
is suggested to be given to aluminum, steel, and manganese ore processing,  
to drive the development of building, home appliances, transportation, and  
other downstream industries. By 2050, the annual output of aluminum oxide,  
electrolytic aluminum, steel, and electrolytic manganese will reach 56 million,  
12 million, 150 million, and 300 thousand tons respectively. By 2030, 2040 and  
2050, the increased power consumption for mining and metallurgy industry will  
be 97 TWh, 190 TWh, and 310 TWh respectively.  
theꢀannualꢀoutputꢀofꢀaluminumꢀ  
oxide,ꢀelectrolyticꢀaluminum  
million  
56  
12  
million  
Tableꢀ2.1ꢀ DevelopmentꢀPlanningꢀforꢀtheꢀMiningꢀandꢀMetallurgyꢀIndustriesꢀinꢀWestꢀAfricaꢀ  
(output: 10,000 tons; power consumption: 100 GWh)  
Aluminum Oxide  
Electrolytic Aluminium  
Steel  
Electrolytic Manganese  
Year  
Power  
Power  
Output  
Power  
Power  
Output  
Output  
Output  
Consumption  
Consumption  
Consumption  
Consumption  
2030  
2040  
2050  
2650  
4250  
5600  
80  
370  
740  
560  
1110  
1800  
4600  
9300  
320  
650  
10  
20  
30  
8
130  
170  
16  
24  
1200  
15400  
1080  
Industrial parks will enable the formation of new economic driver. Considering  
mineral resources, infrastructure, product and market, and other factors,  
major industries and leading enterprises will function as a major force to build  
scaled, intensive, specialized, and clean industrial parks.  
Aluminum industrial parks  
Aluminum processing industrial parks will be built in Saglagi, Boke, and Fria of Guinea, and  
Awaso, Nyinahin of Ghana; in mining regions, plants of aluminum oxide and electrolytic  
aluminum will be built to reduce the costs of logistic transportation. In Conakry and Boffa of  
Guinea, and Pointe Noire of the Republic of Congo, industrial complexes ofaluminum industry +  
port logistics”will be built. Priority will be given to aluminum profile processing, and building,  
transportation, electronic industry, and other downstream industries; large ports will be built to  
support the logistics demands of modern aluminum industry.  
Steel industrial parks  
Steel metallurgy industrial parks will be built in Mount Nimba and Simandou of Guinea, Kogi  
mining area and Edu mining area of Nigeria; great efforts will be made to develop supporting  
service industry and steel deep processing industry.  
2
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
41  
2.3.2ꢀ Southern Africa  
First, economic strength is at the forefront in Africa. In 2017, the total amount  
of GDP in Southern Africa exceeded 387 billion USD, accounting for 17% of  
Africatotal, surpassing other regions in Africa; Manufacturing added value was  
about 60 billion USD, accounting for 41% of sub-Saharan Africas total. Second,  
it is rich in mineral resources. Southern Africa has 36% of the worlds gold and  
20% of the worlds cobalt and is rich in mineral resources such as iron, copper,  
vanadium, platinum and diamond.  
Development  
Foundation  
Give full play to its geographical advantage of connecting the Indian Ocean and  
the Atlantic Ocean, and coordinate the development of mineral industries and  
the construction of industrial parks, promote the co-development of electricity,  
mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade, and enhance the endogenous  
momentum for economic growth, so as to advance the integrated development  
of Southern Africa.  
Development  
Priorities  
Three economic belts will be shaped for coordinated development. The Atlantic  
Coastal Economic Belt: Priority will be given to steel, aluminum, petrochemical  
industry, mechanical engineering, auto, textile, and other industries, seeking to  
shape high-quality models of modern industry in Africa and deeply integrate into  
global value chain. The Indian Ocean Coastal Economic Belt: Priority will be given  
to aluminum, steel, logistics, finance, food processing, and e-commerce, and  
the prime location of ports will be harnessed to shape a development pattern  
featuring coordination between light and heavy industries, and co-existence  
of conventional and emerging industries. Zambezi River Economic Belt:  
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Figureꢀ2.3ꢀ IndustrialꢀPlanningꢀandꢀEconomicꢀBeltsꢀinꢀSouthernꢀAfrica  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
42  
Phosphorite, gold, uranium resources will be exploited. Meanwhile, chemical, textile, and food processing  
sectors, as well as cultural tourism will be developed. And the development and management of the Zambezi  
River will be strengthened, aiming to create a new inland opening forefront.  
With mining and metallurgy industries as the core, efforts will be made to enhance industrialization.  
Considering mineral reserves and production capacity in Southern Africa, priority shall be given to refined  
copper, electrolytic aluminum and steel processing industries. By 2050, the annual output of refined copper,  
electrolytic aluminum and steel will reach 12 million, 6 million, and 50 million tons, respectively. By 2030, 2040  
and 2050, the increased power consumption for mining processing industry will be 38 TWh, 81.5 TWh, and  
137 TWh, respectively.  
2050  
Steel  
Refined copper  
Electrolytic  
million tons  
50  
million tons  
12  
aluminum  
per year  
per year  
million tons  
6
per year  
Tableꢀ2.2ꢀ DevelopmentꢀPlanningꢀforꢀtheꢀMiningꢀandꢀMetallurgyꢀIndustriesꢀinꢀSouthernꢀAfrica  
(output: 10,000 tons; power consumption: 100 GWh)  
Refined Copper  
Electrolytic Aluminium  
Steel  
Year  
Power  
Power  
Power  
Output  
Output  
Output  
Consumption  
Consumption  
Consumption  
2030  
2040  
2050  
500  
800  
50  
80  
150  
350  
600  
225  
525  
900  
1500  
3000  
5000  
105  
210  
350  
1200  
120  
2
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
43  
2.3.3ꢀ Central Africa  
First, Central Africa has the sound economic development environment and  
great potential. Governments in these countries have launched industrial and  
economic revitalization plans, focusing on readjusting economic structures,  
and developing mining, manufacturing and agricultural and sideline products  
processing industries. In 2017, the total GDP of Central Africa stood at around  
243 billion USD, accounting for 11% of Africas total. Second, Central Africa  
enjoys ever-released population dividend. The total population is 160 million,  
accounting for 13% of the whole of Africa. Its population will reach 190 million  
by 2030 and exceed 300 million by 2050, with an average annual growth rate of  
about 2.4%.  
Development  
Foundation  
“One economic circle and one economic belt” will be shaped for coordinated  
development. Resources radiating economic circle of Congo River: Efforts will  
be made to fully tap into the abundant hydropower resources, speed up the  
development of clean energy bases and construction of trans-regional power  
grids, as well as put forward new development ideas about the integration of  
power generation, transmission and consumption to match power production  
end and consumption end in the region, thus integrating the advantages of  
Development  
Priorities  
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Figureꢀ2.4ꢀ IndustrialꢀPlanningꢀandꢀEconomicꢀBeltsꢀofꢀCentralꢀAfrica  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
44  
hydropower resources and mineral resources. Bay Economic Belt: Relying on  
the geographical advantages of the bay, efforts will be made to make full use  
of the advantages of resources and technologies in these countries to develop  
modern agriculture as well as improve industrial system, giving full play to the  
driving effect on the nearby inland markets.  
2050  
theꢀincreasedꢀpowerꢀ  
With the development of mining and metallurgy industries as the core, the whole  
industrial chain fuels industrialization. Considering mineral reserves and production  
capacity in Central Africa, priority is suggested to be given to copper, electrolytic  
cobalt, electrolytic manganese and steel processing industries. By 2050, the annual  
output will reach 7.5 million, 0.3 million, 1.2 million, and 110 million tons respectively.  
By 2030, 2040 and 2050, the increased power consumption for mining processing  
industry will be 24.5 TWh, 55 TWh, and 95 TWh respectively.  
consumption  
TWh  
95  
Tableꢀ2.3ꢀ DevelopmentꢀPlanningꢀforꢀtheꢀMiningꢀProcessingꢀIndustryꢀinꢀCentralꢀAfricaꢀ  
(output: 10,000 tons; power consumption: 100 GWh)  
Copper  
Power  
Electrolytic Cobalt  
Power  
Electrolytic Manganese  
Steel  
Year  
Power  
Output  
Power  
Output  
Output  
Output  
Consumption  
Consumption  
Consumption  
Consumption  
2030  
2040  
2050  
350  
500  
750  
29  
15  
11  
30  
80  
24  
64  
96  
2600  
6100  
180  
42  
63  
20  
30  
15  
22  
430  
770  
120  
11000  
Copper industry development  
The price of refined copper is more than 6 times higher than that of copper concentrate, thus  
copper exports can generate greater revenue than copper ore exports. When refined copper  
industry reaches certain scale, copper materials processing will be developed, which will not  
only satisfy the enormous demand of industrial development, but also drive the development of  
downstream industries, such as electronics and electrical appliances, and transportation.  
Cobalt industry development  
Efforts will be made to develop cobalt smelting and processing, promote the development of  
downstream industries, including lithium battery, high temperature alloy, and hard alloy, and  
drive the development of related industries, such as digital consumer goods and new energy  
vehicles, as well as accelerate the industrialization.  
Steel and manganese industry development  
Deep processing of iron and manganese ores will be carried out at the same time so that manganese  
steel and electrolytic manganese will replace iron and manganese ores for export, which will help  
economic values increase by multiple times. It will not only meet the economic development needs of  
Central Africa, but also drive the development of downstream industries, such as building materials,  
electronics and electrical appliances.  
2
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
45  
2.3.4ꢀ East Africa  
First, the economic growth rate ranks first among all African regions. From 2013 to  
2017, the average economic growth rate in East Africa reached 5.7%, far higher  
than the average growth rate of 3.6% in Africa. In 2017, the total GDP of East Africa  
stood at around 380 billion USD, accounting for 17% of Africas total. Second, East  
Africa boasts abundant labor resources. In 2017, the population of East Africa  
was about 350 million, accounting for 27.8% of the total population in Africa. It is  
estimated that the population will reach 690 million by 2050. Third, East Africa  
enjoys a sound industrial park foundation. There are more than 30 industrial parks  
under construction or planned to be constructed in East Africa. Ethiopia has built 4  
industrial parks. Until July 2017, the total output value of the Oriental Industry Zone  
has reached 730 million USD, providing tens of thousands of jobs.  
Development  
Foundation  
“One corridor and two belts” will be shaped for coordinated development  
integrating light and heavy industries. Great Rift Valley Economic Corridor:  
Tapping into Great Rift Valleys tourism resources, efforts will be made to  
develop emerging technology industries in Kenyan and Rwandan, realize  
the integration of tourism, information industry and urban and ecological  
development, and build the most remarkable demonstration site integrating  
industrial and urban development in Africa. Red Sea Economic Belt: Relying on  
the advantages of industrial parks and location, efforts will be made to focus  
on developing mining, textile, oil and gas, agricultural product processing to  
Development  
Priorities  
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Figureꢀ2.5ꢀ EconomicꢀDevelopmentꢀofꢀEastꢀAfrica  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
46  
create a modern industrial cluster that radiates to West Asia and Africa. Indian  
Ocean Economic Belt: Giving full play to the advantages of ports, efforts will be  
made to focus on the development of logistics, finance, steel rolling, aluminum  
processing, modern agriculture and service industries, so as to drive neighboring  
countries to earn foreign exchange through exports and strengthen the radiating  
function of coastal ports to inland areas.  
2.3.5ꢀ North Africa  
First, North Africa sees positive economic development trend. From 2013 to  
2017, the annual average economic growth rate was 3.2%. In 2017, the total  
GDP of North Africa stood at around 700 billion USD, accounting for 31% of  
Africas total. Second, North Africa enjoys significant geographical advantages  
and wide market radiation. North Africa is an important transition zone  
connecting Asia, Europe and Africa on land. It reaches the southern border  
of the Mediterranean in the north, and extends to the Suez Canal (the throat  
of the world) in the east, and is adjacent to the Arabian Peninsula, endowing  
it with an advantageous geographical location. Third, North Africa enjoys a  
sound industrial foundation. North African countries enjoy a favorable technical  
foundation, human resources and supporting environment. Tunisia and Morocco  
have remarkable advantages in mechanical and electrical manufacturing  
and metal processing industries. In recent years, Egypt and Morocco have  
seen rapid development in automobile manufacturing. Textile industry in  
Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia is the pillar industry of their national economy.  
And phosphate mining and processing in North Africa has formed a relatively  
complete industrial chain.  
Development  
Foundation  
Development  
Priorities  
Three economic belts will be shaped for coordinated development.  
Efforts will be made to give full play to the advantages of resources and  
location to accelerate the transformation and upgrading of traditional  
industries, such as textile and petrochemical industries, cultivate new pillar  
industries, such as oil refining and intelligent manufacturing, and promote  
logistics, tourism and cultural exchanges to develop towards high-end and  
high-value-added directions.  
Mediterr  
anean  
Economic  
Belt  
-
Efforts will be made to make full use of the capital and technological  
advantages of neighboring countries, effectively undertake traditional  
industries, such as textile and chemical industries, and develop and improve  
the industrial system. At the same time, relying on the port advantages, it will  
synergize with the West African Economic Zone and play its radiating role to  
the European market.  
Atlantic  
Ocean  
Economic  
Belt  
2
A New Model for the Co-development of Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
47  
Efforts will be made to develop modern agriculture and advanced  
manufacturing industries, give full play to Egypts leading role, support  
automobiles, household appliances and electronic information to become  
bigger and stronger. Focusing on major ports, it will establish a complementary  
system including ports, logistics and supporting services, and build an  
important transportation hub in North Africa.  
Red Sea  
Economic  
Belt  
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Figureꢀ2.6ꢀ DevelopmentꢀPlanningꢀinꢀNorthꢀAfrica  
The core of co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade is to exploit the full potential of regional comparative advantages  
of production imputs and industry foundation through industrialization. In the  
process of industrialization, a positive cycle of economic development will  
be established to achieve synergy. Though Africa is blessed with abundant  
resources, it lacks markets and financing, resulting in the difficulties of lauching  
large-scale projects. The innovative development model provides a package  
solution for the long-term development dilemma facing Africa. Co-development  
of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade will push Africa to a  
fast track of economic and social development.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
48  
Comprehensive Benefits  
3
The co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and  
trade, and Africa Energy Interconnection will release the full potential of  
Africas natural resources, and tremendously benefit Africa in the fields of  
economy, society, politics, and environment.  
3.1  
Economic  
Benefits  
Achieving clean, sustainable, reliable energy and  
power supply. The co-development model of  
electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and  
trade will help solving difficulties in clean energy  
development in Africa, such as project financing  
and launching. An integrated market of power  
generation, transmission, and utilization will be  
formed by coordinating clean energy development,  
mining, and the construction of industrial parks. The  
sustainable supply of clean energy will meet African  
industrialization needs and get rid of the reliance on  
fossil energy. By 2050, clean energy will account  
for above 40% of primary energy in Africa, and the  
generating capacity of clean energy will account for  
about 67% of the total generating capacity.  
Driving economic growth. The co-development  
m o d e l o f e l e c t r i c i t y , m i n i n g , m e t a l l u r g y ,  
manufacturing and trade will boost the development  
of clean energy, power, mining, metallurgy,  
processing, and other industries, and become  
a new economic driver in Africa. First, with its  
huge development potential and high rate of  
expected return, electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade development model  
attract great amount of international capital to  
Africa to boost African economy. By 2050, the total  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
50  
investment in Africa Energy Interconnection will be  
expected to amount to 3.2 trillion USD. Second, the  
driving effects of manufacturing is enormous. The  
development of mineral processing and smelting  
will boost downstream industries, such as building,  
transportation, and electric appliances, thus  
enhancing the industrialization of Africa. By 2050,  
the gross output value of electrolytic aluminium,  
steel, and other mining industries will exceed 480  
billion USD.  
Lowering development costs. The low marginal  
costs of large-scale development and utilization  
of clean power generation will effectively reduce  
average power supply costs in Africa. The cost  
benefits are obvious, by 2050, the LCOE of bulk of  
power supply will be around 9 US cents/kWh and  
below, and average electricity price will be about  
8.6 US cents/kWh. Thus, 5.1 US cents/kWh lower  
than the present price, and about 158 billion USD of  
electricity cost will be saved each year.  
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Figure.ꢀ3.1ꢀ ForecastꢀofꢀtheꢀAverageꢀCalibrateꢀkWhꢀCostꢀofꢀVariousꢀKindsꢀofꢀ  
PowerꢀinꢀAfricaꢀ(USꢀcent/kWh)Aꢀ  
Source: IRENA.  
A
3
Comprehensive Benefits  
51  
Increasing foreign exchange earnings. First, power  
trade will expand. The large-scale development of  
clean power generation bases, and the construction  
of cross-border, inter-regional, transcontinental  
interconnection in Africa will create the needs of  
delivery and consumption of clean power, whereby  
greatly expand the scale of power import and  
export. By 2050, the foreign exchange earnings  
from power trade in Africa will up to around 36 billion  
USD. Second, the export of manufactured mineral  
products will be boosted. The development model  
of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade will help African countries wean from  
export of raw ore, and greatly enhance the export  
of electrolytic aluminium, aluminum profile, stainless  
steel, and other manufactured mineral products. By  
2050, Africas total export volume of manufactured  
mineral products will exceed 100 billion USD.  
Realizing balanced development. The co-development  
model of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade development model will give play to  
Africas advantages in natural endowments, push  
for their industrialization and economic development.  
It brings equal development opportunities to people  
in these countries, narrows wealth gap and resolves  
economic unbalance and poverty issues.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
52  
3.2  
Social  
With the rapid development of clean power generation and the  
sharp drop of electricity price, by 2030, the electrification rate of  
power will be enhanced to 66%; by 2050, full electricity coverage  
will be achieved and the electrification rate will be enhanced to  
over 90%. In the future, each and every African people will have  
access to and can afford green, clean, low-cost, and reliable  
power, enjoy the fruits of modern power civilization, and see  
poverty issue resolved fundamentally.  
01  
Achieving  
full  
Benefits  
electricity  
coverage.  
Sulfur dioxide, nitric oxide and fine particles constitute major  
air pollutants. Most of these pollutants come from energy  
production and utilization, mainly fossil energy and the burning  
of biomass. The building of Africa Energy Interconnection and  
large-scale clean energy development will effectively abate  
pollution caused by energy production and consumption, and  
dramatically reduce diseases and death tolls caused by energy  
pollution.  
02  
Realizing  
better  
health.  
The new development model of electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade includes mineral exploration and  
processing, and the construction of roads, ports and other  
infrastructure, supporting facilities of industrial parks, and power  
and grids. The development of Africa Energy Interconnection  
covers energy development, power generation, power grid  
construction, electrical equipment, electricity substitution, intelligent  
technologies, new materials, information communication,  
and other fields. The development of mineral processing will  
boost downstream manufacturing industries, such as building,  
transportation, and electric appliances. With the sustained  
implementation of African industrialization, manufacturing in African  
will generate abundant jobs. By 2050, the integrated development  
model of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade will  
create over 100 million jobs.  
03  
employment.  
Driving  
3
Comprehensive Benefits  
53  
Reducing air pollution.  
3.3  
Environmental  
01  
Air pollutants caused by fossil energy will be greatly reduced. By 2050,  
power generation through clean energy will account for 67 percent  
of total power generation, reaching 2,800 TWh/year. That means the  
emission reduction of 2.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, 8.13 million  
tons of sulfur dioxide, 8.91 million tons of nitrogen oxide, and 1.71  
million tons of fine particles each year.  
Benefits  
Saving land and water resources.  
02  
03  
Wind power, solar power, and other forms of clean energy will replace  
thermal power, thus reducing water consumption of fossil energy  
power generation. By 2050, Africa will enhance its value of land  
resources by 1.1 billion USD and save water resources by 21 billion  
tons.  
Protecting and improving ecological environment.  
Sharply decreased scale of fossil energy development and utilization  
will alleviate pollution to underground water, geology, land, and sea  
caused by mining, processing, transportation, storage, burning, and  
other processes, thus rendering better protection and recovery of  
ecological environment.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
54  
The co-development model of electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade will integrate Africas clean energy  
development, power grid interconnection, mineral exploration  
and processing, and industrial park construction. It will enable  
the sharing of clean energy among countries, power grid  
interconnection, and transcontinental, cross-border trading.  
The industrialization of countries will boost the free flow of labor,  
technology, and capital among regions, and effectively enhance  
energy and economic cooperation and political mutual trust.  
3.4  
Political  
Benefits  
Enhancing  
political  
mutual trust.  
Development is the common aspiration of African countries.  
The co-development model of electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade will help African countries to turn  
their resource advantages into economic strength, and  
solve their problems in capital and market availability in a  
coordinated way. The development of metallurgy industry  
and the construction of industrial parks will propel capacity  
cooperation of manufacturing industry among countries, and  
then advance the industrialization of the whole region. During  
clean energy development and utilization and the building of  
Africa Energy Interconnection, the common interests among  
countries will end the longstanding energy order featuring  
confrontation and competition, and shape a new layout of  
cooperation and openness, interconnection, and win-win  
in terms of Africa Energy governance. As a result, political,  
military, and diplomatic conflicts will be greatly reduced, thus  
boosting peaceful, harmonious development.  
Promoting  
peaceful  
development.  
The co-development model will resolve chronic problems Africa has  
faced, such as poverty, no access to power, and anemic growth,  
and become a major engine for African economic growth. Overall  
development of clean energy and better power interconnection among  
countries will facilitate energy cooperation among these countries,  
prompt parties to establish a solid partnership, reduce and even  
eliminate disputes caused by competition for energy resources, enable  
a peaceful, harmonious Africa, and boost the building of a community  
with shared future for humanity.  
Serving regional  
integration  
and building  
a human  
community with  
a shared future.  
3
Comprehensive Benefits  
55  
Conclusion  
4
Based on a careful research on the resource advantages and the road map of  
Africas industrial development, the report proposes the building of Africa Energy  
Interconnection, to promote hydropower resources development in Africa, and  
realize the co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and  
trade. In this way, the resource advantages of Africa will be turned into economic  
strength, the development model of economy, industry, and energy and power  
will be changed, and a package solution for African development will be offered,  
so as to realize sustainable development in Africa. In order to accelerate the  
building of Africa Energy Interconnection and boost African development,  
it is important to build global consensus, speed up clean development,  
advance interconnection, intensify industrial coordination, and promote African  
manufacturing.  
Deepening global  
erating clean  
Advancing A
elopment.  
manufactu
Five  
Actions  
interconnection.  
Deepening global consensus.  
01  
Efforts should be made for wider transmission of the Africa Energy  
Interconnection concept, and build the consensus of African sustainable  
development. A consensus is the lead of every action. A powerful synergy can  
be formed only when we consolidate the common development consensus. The  
building of Africa Energy Interconnection will propel sustainable development  
in Africa, help shape an omni-dimensional, multi-layered publicity system, To  
realize wide-spreading acknowledgement of the development concenpt. At  
the global level, efforts will be made to spread the concept of Africa Energy  
4
Conclusion  
57  
Interconnection, boost African sustainable development, and advocate the  
development concepts of a community with shared future, shared interests,  
and common responsibility; at the level of energy, industry, energy-using  
enterprises and the public, efforts should be made to launch demonstration  
projects, experience sharing, and other programs to publicize the scheme of  
Africa Energy Interconnection, so as to pool the strength of all parties to promote  
African sustainable development.  
Accelerating clean development.  
02  
Greater efforts will be made for clean development, and develop large clean energy  
bases to ensure the power demands for Africas sustainable development. In Africa,  
the priority should be given to the development of hydropower in Nile River, Congo  
River, Niger River, and Zambezi River, and the construction of Inga Hydropower  
Station and Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam; wind power bases in South Africa,  
Tanzania, Mediterranean coast in North Africa, and eastern Africa coast; and  
solar power bases in northern Sahara and southern Africa. Greater efforts will be  
made to boost wind power, hydropower, and solar power development in relevant  
African countries, so as to enhance the share of clean power generation in relevant  
countries, the electrification level of all industries, and energy utilization efficiency,  
shape a power-based energy production and consumption mix, and propel the co-  
development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
58  
Realizing interconnection.  
03  
Moving faster to realize cross-border, transcontinental energy interconnection,  
and coordinated energy development. Moving faster to realize power grid  
interconnection and form an energy development pattern that is clean, safe,  
and stable, so as to ensure power supply for the electricity, mining, metallurgy,  
manufacturing and trade development of Africa. Though Africa boasts abundant  
clean energy resources and huge development potential, these resources are  
unevenly distributed. Particularly, some inland countries face great shortage  
of energy resources, and it is imperative for them to realize mutual supply  
and complementation through power grid interconnection. Energy and power  
interconnection can enable the large-scale development and wide-range  
allocation of clean resources, and turn resources advantages into economic  
strength.  
Intensifying industrial synergy.  
04  
Advantages of resource endowment will be used to shape clusters of  
competitive industries. Clean, adequate power supply will guarantee mining  
development, metallurgy production, processing and manufacturing industry,  
and enable the co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing  
and trade, turn the resources advantages of Africa into economic strength, and  
fundamentally change the energy and economic development model of Africa.  
The win-win model of coordinated industrial chain development will resolve  
financing difficulties, integrate the upstream and downstream development  
model of“source-grid-load”, and share investment and financing risks through  
industrial clusters and interest sharing. Based on the revenue expectation of  
power and mining projects and credit of large enterprises, long-term contracts  
among parties of power generation, transmission, and consumption will be  
signed to reduce project risks and ensure the benefits of all parties; banks  
and consortia will offer loans based on capital fund invested by enterprises  
and legally binding long-term contracts, so as to break the dilemmas of large-  
scale projects launching caused by governmentsincapability of guarantee and  
financing.  
4
Conclusion  
59  
Advancing African manufacturing.  
05  
African countries will formulate plans for Africas revitalization. The priority will be  
given to manufacturing, especially metallurgy, chemical engineering, and other  
basic industries. Efforts will be made to formulate strategy for manufacturing  
development, issue preferential policies in land, taxation, and other aspects  
to reduce the production costs of manufacturing industry, and clearly define  
relevant laws and policies of import and export. National governments will  
move fast to foster key and core enterprises, enhance the international  
competitiveness of leading enterprises, move up global industrial value chain,  
and give play to the driving force of leading enterprises. Other countries will  
provide a vast market space for African manufacturing with fairer trading rules.  
A fairer, balanced global trading partnership will be established worldwide. While  
prioritizing North-South cooperation, developed countries will offer extra support  
in capital, technology, and capacity building, and give precedence to the import  
of products manufactured in Africa. The whole world will work together to set up  
special fund for African manufacturing development, and build Africa into a major  
global manufacturing base.  
Developing Africa Energy Interconnection to Promote Hydropower Resource Development and Achieve the Co-development of  
Electricity, Mining, Metallurgy, Manufacturing and Trade  
60