Abstract
Abstract The number of renewable energy (RE) projects that have been implemented in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) has soared over the past couple of years. The number of projects to be implemented within the coming years is expected to rise considerably. However, the societal benefits of RE projects implemented in SSA have not been studied thoroughly. This study attempts to: (i) uncover the differences between the expected and the realized societal benefits of utilizing renewable energy technologies (RETs) in SSA, (ii) reveal any empirical failures in realizing those benefits and (iii) create awareness towards the sustainable implementation of RE projects. Within the realm of publicly-funded projects, we aim to provide solutions that assist these and future projects to meet their societal benefits. We investigate 29 projects that have been implemented in ten SSA countries taking into account direct experiences of the local users and project developers. We find that most of the projects investigated in this study have few to no societal benefits within a short period of time after the “cutting the ribbon” event. To counteract this, we present corresponding recommendations.
Highlights
The consumption of energy globally has increased at a fast pace and this has mainly been attributed to the rate of growth in developing countries [29]
The results presented in this study are based on the empirical findings of post-implementation appraisal of 29 projects in ten different Sub-Saharan African countries (Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Gabon, South Africa, Tanzania, Mozambique, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda)
Our study reveals substantial differences between the expected and the actual societal benefits of utilizing renewable energy in Sub-Saharan African countries
Summary
The consumption of energy globally has increased at a fast pace and this has mainly been attributed to the rate of growth in developing countries [29]. There exists a high level of inequality around the world in the access to contemporary energy services [2]. Eradicating poverty in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) will require substantial growth and development within the economy. Constant energy supply is a problem in almost all African countries within the SubSahara. An affordable and environmentally friendly way of generating energy is crucially important to foster economic growth and eradicate poverty. The actual societal benefits of utilizing renewable energy (RE) infrastructures within the region of Sub-Saharan Africa are questionable in view of the considerable number of failed projects [16]
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