Lifestyle
Top 10 African countries with the largest electricity production
By Jide Taiwo
African countries have been enjoying electricity as far back as April 25, 1860, with the opening of the electric telegraph line between Cape Town and Simon’s Town, South Africa.
Unfortunately, not all people on the continent have access to electricity, while only a few countries enjoy stable power supply.
Below are the top 10 African countries with the largest production of electricity:
1. Egypt – 59,063 megawatts
Egypt was the 3rd African country to use electricity in 1893.
The majority of Egypt’s electricity supply is generated from thermal and hydropower stations. As of 2010, every resident in Egypt has access to electricity.
Egypt is the largest consumer of natural gas in Africa, and this is reflected in its power generation. The abundant resource allows Egypt to generate electricity relatively cheaply.
The country currently produces about 59,063 megawatts of electricity yearly.
2. South Africa – 58,095 megawatts
South Africa was the first African country where electricity was used. This was on April 25, 1860, with the opening of the electric telegraph line between Cape Town and Simon’s Town.
In South Africa, approximately 85 percent, or 42,000MW, of the nation’s electricity is generated via coal-fired power stations.
Here’s a breakdown of South Africa’s power generation:
- Coal: 80% (most dominant source)
- Renewables: 7.3% (wind, solar PV and CSP)
- Nuclear: 4% (only nuclear plant in Africa)
- Hydro: 2%
- Other: 7% (oil, gas)
The country currently produces about 58,095 megawatts of electricity annually.
3. Algeria – 24,000 megawatts
Algeria primarily relies on fossil fuels, particularly natural gas, for its power generation. Here’s a breakdown of Algeria’s electricity generation in 2017:
- Thermal gas (43.39%)
- Combined cycle (41.29%) – which combines natural gas and steam turbines for higher efficiency
- Thermal steam (14.09%)
- Renewables (1.2%) consisting of:
- Hydro (0.01%)
- Wind (0.029%)
- Solar (0.70%)
Algeria has a huge potential for renewable energy sources, especially solar power due to the high sunshine hours in the Sahara Desert. The Algerian government has recognized this and set a goal of reaching 12 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
The country currently generates about 24,000 megawatts of power annually.
4. Nigeria – 14,000 megawatts
It is a coincidence that Nigeria which was the 4th country in Africa to record the first use of electricity in in Lagos in 1886 with the use of generators to provide 60 kW is also the fourth African country in the ranking of electricity production.
Nigeria is one of the countries with no stable electricity supply. Fossil fuels, notably gas are the major source of electricity generation in Nigeria, about 86 percent.
The African giant and most populous black nation on earth currently generates about 14,000 megawatts of electricity to serve its over 200 million population.
5. Morocco – 11,000 megawatts
6. Libya – 10,236 megawatts
7. Tunisia – 6,079 megawatts
8. Angola – 5,700 megawatts
9. Ethiopia – 5,200 megawatts
10. Ghana – 5,134 megawatts
Disclaimer
The information in this article was curated from online sources. NewsWireNGR or its editorial team cannot independently verify all details.
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