African nations urged to limit their reliance on hydropower

African nations need to diversify energy supply, particularly countries reliant on hydropower, industry experts said at an energy conference in Johannesburg last month.

The region has been affected by severe droughts in recent years, affecting not only food security but also energy supply in countries that make heavy use of hydropower.

Hydropower stations in such countries are at risk, said Langiwe Lungu, executive director of the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) in Zambia, pointing to climate change studies.

Zambia’s electricity deficit rose to 1,000 megawatts (MW) in 2016 as severe drought reduced water levels at the Kariba Dam, which generates much of the country’s electricity.

Mines also came under pressure, with Glencore’s Zambian Mopani Copper Mines business suspending operations in certain areas after power supply restrictions.

Zambia, Africa’s second-largest copper producer, has since introduced solar, coal power and heavy fuel oil to its energy mix.

“At one point our energy supply was 99 per cent from hydropower but now we are at about 85 percent,” Lungu says.

Low rainfall in Kenya, where electricity generation capacity is mostly from hydroelectric and geothermal sources, pushed the country to generate more electricity using costly diesel last year.

“You need a mix that allows you to mitigate those types of issues,” said George Njenga, GE Power’s regional executive for sub-Saharan Africa. ^ (Reuters)