China-Africa green partnership energizes shared sustainable future

The ever-closer partnership between China and Africa in renewable energy has been propelling the continent towards sustainable development and thereby a greener future, exemplifying how South-South collaboration can address global challenges.

Africa, one of the regions most vulnerable to climate change, faces an urgent need to transition to a green, low-carbon economy. The continent's dependence on agriculture, highly susceptible to climatic fluctuations, increases its vulnerability.

Despite these challenges, Africa holds immense potential. Its young and dynamic population, coupled with a policy shift towards green energy and sustainable growth, positions the continent for significant progress.

China, with its extensive experience and resources, emerges as an ideal partner in Africa's green transition. A leading innovator, manufacturer, and exporter of renewable energy products, China is helping to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy to regions that need it most.

As Africa harnesses its natural resources and China shares its technological prowess, their collaboration is more than just mutually beneficial, but essential for a shared sustainable future for all.

"Solar panels and batteries have become affordable for many, including in some African countries where the remotest parts have no prospect of being connected to the grid for the next 20 years or more," said economist Brains Muchemwa.

"The impact this has had on livelihoods, particularly in agriculture, sanitation, education, and health, is massive, improving the overall living conditions of millions of Africans," Muchemwa said.

China's support has been crucial to the success of Africa's development, and Beijing has consistently aligned itself with the aspirations of developing countries, including Kenya, said Moses Masika Wetangula, speaker of Kenya's National Assembly.

"China's experience in renewable energy development is very worthy of reference for African countries. In this field, African countries and China have huge potential for cooperation," said Youba Sokona, vice-chair of the United Nations' Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

In recent years, under the framework of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) and the Belt and Road Initiative, more and more Chinese companies have developed partnerships and collaborated with African governments and businesses to develop renewable energy projects, ranging from hydro- and wind power to solar and geothermal energy.

In northeastern Kenya, a country where 87 percent of electricity comes from renewable sources, sits Garissa Solar Power Plant, which produces half of the country's solar power. After the China-built plant went on the grid, Kenya's solar power generation jumped from 7.44 million kilowatts per hour (kWh) a month in 2021 to an average of 30 million kWh a month in 2023.

"There has been increased investment in Garissa due to the low-cost power as well as several small businesses like welding workshops. The solar plant has also created jobs directly and indirectly," said Hannington Gochi, a renewable energy expert at Kenya's Rural Electrification and Renewable Energy Corporation.

Deswin Basson is an operation and maintenance engineer at the De Aar Wind Farm in Northern Cape Province, over 750 kilometers northeast of Cape Town, South Africa. Since 2017, the plant has been supplying the local community with about 760 million kWh of stable and clean electricity every year.

As part of De Aar Wind Farm's social responsibility program, over 4.5 million rand every year (about $236,000) are channeled to a scholarship program, which sponsors over 120 students like Deswin to pursue college studies.

The Nyabarongo II Hydropower Plant, sitting on the mainstream of the Nyabarongo River at the junction of Rwanda's Northern and Southern provinces, is under construction and expected to be completed in 2027.

"Besides increasing power generation capacity, we count on this project to reduce the cost of doing business, and improve the quality of life of the population through increased access to reliable, affordable power," said Felix Gakuba, managing director of Rwanda's Energy Development Corporation Limited, a subsidiary of Rwanda Energy Group.

In a world collectively taking a greener path, China and Africa stand united in the vanguard of energy transformation. Their partnership isn't just a catalyst for Africa's green growth - it's a blueprint for expanding South-South cooperation toward a more sustainable future.