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Solar in Africa grows significantly for third year in a row

Michael Simire
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Solar in Africa grows significantly for third year in a row

Solar installations have reached new heights across the globe in 2024 with a whopping 503 GWp of estimated capacity. This represents a 44% increase compared to 2023. In Africa, the growth is more modest but new installations maintain a solid level at 2.5 GWp after 2022 and 2023 being record years for solar in Africa.

Solar panels
Solar panels

Thanks to new solar installations, Africa is now home to 19.2 GWp (excluding residential installations). This is the 3rd year in a row that more than 2 GWp are being installed, which is testament to the good health of the industry. But solar in Africa did however not grow as much as the global solar market and still represents less than 1% of all solar currently installed across the globe.

Solar continues to spread across Africa

More and more African nations are adopting solar in their energy mix. Some already install massively, while other are making their first steps with solar. In 2024, 2 African nations installed more than 100 MW (one more than 2023), 16 installed more than 10 MW (stable) and 29 installed at least 1 MW (2 more than 2023). The best performers in terms of installed capacity include South Africa with an estimated 1,235 MWp, Egypt with 707 MWp, Zambia with 74.8 MWp, Nigeria with 63.5 MWp and Angola with 53.8 MWp. All these figures exclude residential installations as these are currently not tracked by AFSIA. It is estimated that these residential installations could represent 10% to 20% additional capacity.

But while solar conquers more African countries, the business nevertheless remains highly concentrated. In 2024, South Africa and Egypt represented almost 80% of all the new solar installed, respectively representing 50% and 29%. But with multiple projects already announced and at various stages of development in several countries which are new to solar, we may witness a more distributed spread of solar in Africa in the years to come.

If we look at the prevalence of solar in the overall national power generation, the Central African Republic still leads the ranking of countries where solar contributes the most to the overall electricity mix, with more than 40% of all grid electricity consumed in the country originating from solar. And another 6 African countries already have solar contribute more than 10% of their power consumption, which is a remarkable performance at global level. These countries are Mauritania (20.7%), Namibia (13.4%), Somalia (11.6%), Malawi (11.4%) The Gambia (10.6%) and Cape Verde (10.5%).

In terms of solar per capita, the 2024 top 5 remains almost unchanged. Wealthy islands Seychelles, Mauritius and Cape Verde are joined by African solar champions South Africa and Namibia. In the overall ranking, The Gambia lands at #16 and is the country that progresses the most (+25 spots) thanks to the commissioning of its 23 MWp Jambur Solar Plant Solar.

The boom of storage

Storage is becoming a key element of the African solar eco-system. From 2017 to 2022, storage in Africa represented on average only around 50 MWh per annum. In 2023 this capacity grew to 150 MWh+ and in 2024 it grew to more than 1,600 MWh.

This exponential growth is to thank to sharply decreasing prices for lithium-ion storage solutions. Industry-leading research firm Bloomberg NEF estimates that the cost of such storage has decreased by 20% in 2024, after decreasing 13% in 2023. This is the strongest price decrease in the last 7 years.

The reason behind this significant decrease is a combination of production overcapacity and heightened competition between manufacturers. Several gigawatt factories were put online across the globe in recent years to address the expected boom of electric mobility. These investments also benefit the market of stationary storage thanks to the economies of scale they have created. And because electric vehicles sales have not delivered as promised, production overcapacity has added an element of intense price competition between manufacturers.

Therefore, the market experiences a real boom of storage within African solar projects, and within the power generation landscape at large. A few large-scale projects have been recently announced or have even started construction. Such projects include for example the 2nd phase of Soma Project in The Gambia with 100 MW / 130 MWh, the Lolda Solar Farm in Senegal comprising of 60 MWp of PV and 72 MWh of storage, and the impressive 900 MW PV / 720 MWh storage in Egypt developed by Masdar and Infinity Power.

Africa Solar Outlook report, a wealth of information country-by-country

Next to highlighting the most notable projects and trends, the Africa Solar Outlook 2025 report also provides a unique overview of the status of solar in each African country. The “Country Vignettes” describe the national eco-system of solar across its key parameters including country objectives for renewables energy, solar policies, current electricity tariffs, national electrification rate, key electricity institutions and current installed capacity in the country. These key parameters make it extremely easy to get familiar with the reality of solar in each country and compare national performance and opportunities.

By John van Zuylen, Africa Solar Industry Association

World’s second largest desalination plant to supply potable water to Amman, Aqaba

Michael Simire
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World’s second largest desalination plant to supply potable water to Amman, Aqaba

The Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the consortium led by Meridiam-SUEZ have signed a 30-year concession contract for the desalination and conveyance of drinking water to 3 million people in the cities of Amman, the capital of Jordan, and Aqaba.

Amman
Amman, the capital of Jordan

The 851,000 m3/day desalination plant will be the second largest in the world. It will produce up to 40% of the country’s drinking water consumption. This project, which represents an investment of around €4 billion, will contribute to the country’s water security and the quality of life of the Jordanian people.

Jordan is one of the most water-stressed countries in the world, with less than 100 m3 of fresh water available per inhabitant per year. Climate change and rapid demographic growth are exacerbating the pressure on water resources.

The Jordanian Government has initiated a large-scale project to desalinate water from the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aqaba, and convey it to Aqaba and Amman, the capital city. The project will provide a continuous supply of water to more than three million people.

For this project, Meridiam, a mission-driven company (B Corp) specialising in the development, financing and long-term management of sustainable public infrastructure, and SUEZ (1), a world leader in circular water solutions, formed a special purpose company (SPC). It will be responsible for the financing, construction and operation of the water desalination and conveyance infrastructure under the terms of a 30-year concession contract.

The Gulf of Aqaba reverse osmosis plant will be the second largest in the world, built in one phase, with a design capacity of 851,000 m3 of drinking water per day.

For the construction of the desalination plant and of the 445 km of pipelines to convey the drinking water to Aqaba and Amman, Meridiam and SUEZ will combine their expertise with a group of international and regional partners.

The project is supported by the US International Development Finance Corporation and the US Agency for International Development in Amman, along with the European Union and several international financial bodies. As such, it is subject to a strict set of environmental and social requirements. A 724 GWh/year solar power plant will notably be developed as part of this contract.

Pierre Pauliac, Group Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Water of SUEZ, commented: “SUEZ teams are very proud to be awarded this major contract, with Meridiam as well as regional and international partners, to finance, build and operate the second largest desalination plant in the world. This contract draws on SUEZ’s 50 years of experience in seawater desalination, with more than 260 plants built around the world [2]. It is part of a long-standing relationship with the Jordanian authorities in the field of water management.”

In line with standard practice, the construction will commence upon the satisfaction of a number of conditions, one of which is the completion of financial closing.

Govt will deploy drones to maximise agricultural output – Kyari

Michael Simire
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Govt will deploy drones to maximise agricultural output – Kyari

Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Sen. Abubakar Kyari, on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, said the Federal Government would deploy technology for all-year round farming.

Drone
A drone. Photo credit: Jared Brashier on Unsplash

The minister said this while briefing State House correspondents.

“The faster we clear land, harvest, chemical deployment, whether it’s pesticide, whether it’s herbicide, the better.

“We intend to use drone technology in doing that because what one drone can do, a hundred people cannot do in a day.

“So, we are going to use drones to fast-track agricultural activities, harvest quickly, and then make the land available for the next cycle of cultivation,” said Kyari.

He said his ministry would partner the private sector to support vibrant youths to take advantage of its mechanisation programme.

“It is very important to also educate our farmers that agriculture is no longer for the stomach only. It should also be seen as a business, something that will earn a livelihood.

“So, what we have seen that input support may not necessarily be what will incentivise our smallholder farmers to produce.

“I think we need to change the mindset and see how we can engage them in such a way that funding from the private sector should support agricultural production,” Kyari said.

By Salif Atojoko

Katsina earmarks N50b for water projects

Michael Simire
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Katsina earmarks N50b for water projects

The Katsina State Government says it has earmarked about N50 billion to execute various water related projects across the state in the year 2025.

Dikko Radda
Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina State

Managing Director of the State Water Board, Mr. Tukur Tingilin, disclosed this in Katsina on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, while inaugurating grievance redress committees.

He also said that, in 2025, the government would initiate various projects that would benefit the people, particularly in the provision of potable water across the state.

According to Tingilin, the government has committed N8.4 billion in 2024 as part of a N20 billion World Bank supported project to overhaul, upgrade, and rehabilitate water facilities in 20 communities across five local government areas (LGAs) in the state.

Tingilin explained that the aim of the project under World Bank NG-SURWASH was to improve water supply and infrastructure in the state.

According to him, the project would also involve the replacement of obsolete pipes, installation of new water systems, and general facility upgrades.

Tingili explained that extensive consultations with stakeholders in affected communities were conducted to ensure the success of the initiative.

He said the grievance redress committees were inaugurated for Katsina/Batagarawa, Daura, Funtua Dutsinma and Malumfashi LGAs to ensure intervention whenever the need arises between the communities and contractors regarding the projects being executed.

“For instance, while executing the projects, and it passes through someone’s shop, the committee will intervene to ensure that the affected residents are compensated.

“Compensated in the sense that, when a water pipe is passing through the shop, the committee will ensure that anything broken, must be fixed back.

“The committee is also responsible to monitor the project’s implementation, to ensure it meets the required quality and specifications,” he said.

Tingilin explained that the upgrade of some water facilities across the communities was to meet up with the growing population in the areas.

“When those facilities were provided, the residents were not more than 200, but now they have increased to thousands.

“Those communities will also be provided with more water tanks, boreholes, solar facilities, and also ensure their maintenance.

“Government is targeting to replace with the new, the old installed pipes across the Katsina metropolis, because the areas are no longer supplied with the water.

“This will enable the residents to have a clean and potable water supply in their houses. And we are also targeting to connect many extension areas with water lines.”

Tingilin said the Gov. Dikko Radda administration remains committed to ensuring that no community is left without water supply.

In his remarks, the District Head of Malumfashi, Justice Sadiq Abdullahi-Mahuta, lauded the initiative and assured the traditional institution support towards its successful execution.

By Abbas Bamalli

Osinbajo advocates climate positive growth in Africa

Michael Simire
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Osinbajo advocates climate positive growth in Africa

The former Vice President of Nigeria, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, has advocated climate positive growth for job and wealth creation to deal with extreme poverty in Africa.

Yemi Osinbajo
Former Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo

Osinbajo said this while speaking at the 23rd Chief S.L. Edu Memorial lecture on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, in Lagos.

Climate positive growth is a way of measuring progress towards a more sustainable future by removing more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than is emitted. It’s also known as carbon negative growth.

The memorial lecture was organised by the Nigerian Conservation Foundation (NCF) in collaboration with Chevron.

The lecture, with the theme “Greening Africa’s Economies: Can Climate Positive Growth Deliver Prosperity?”, was delivered by Osinbajo.

He said Africa could help the world meet its net zero target by developing a green partner or climate positive growth.

“The important thing about this is that it will create jobs and wealth and deal with extreme poverty.

“And I think we should ask ourselves the question, why does the climate positive growth paradigm for development make sense?

“Why does it make sense for Africa to develop along the green economic paradigm? It is because we have climate competitiveness.

“That is to say that our economies will do better than most other economies if we grow green,” he said.

Osinbajo who said the world was increasingly paying for climate solutions noted that the world was changing their ideas on what to consume or whether it is green.

“The world increasingly pays for climate solutions and what I mean by this is that through consumer preferences, consumers in different parts of the world, of course, are changing their ideas about what they will consume, whether those things are green.

“There’s also a price on carbon. In many different economies today, there is a price on carbon. In other words, you are emitting carbon, you pay a price for it one way or the other.

“So, the places in the world that can provide green solutions, most cost-competitive, have a massive economic opportunity.

“So if in Africa we can produce any product that is competitive, green products that are competitive, we already have a massive economic advantage.

Osinbajo, who said Africa had the key ingredients to be a major climate action powerhouse, attributed these to untapped renewable energy, young entrepreneurial workforce, and relevant natural assets and resources,

“Indeed, late starters to industrialisation and our low-carbon footprint can actually be an advantage to us, enabling us to develop green-filled energy manufacturing.

“This will save us the cost of abandoned legacy carbon-intensive manufacturing projects.

“By pursuing an industrialisation pathway using renewable energy, of which we have 60 percent of the world’s potential, we can actually develop the first green industrial civilisation,” he said.

Osinbajo said Africa could achieve economic growth without growing emissions or even keeping emissions constant.

“This way, we can actually realise economic growth, job creation, livelihood improvement by being a part of the climate solution.

“I think it’s been well argued that Africa probably has the best potential in terms of the green and blue assets that we have to become the first truly green industrial civilisation.

“This enable the world to achieve its net-zero objectives. Africa is a global powerhouse of natural and renewable energy resources, and this positions the continent at the heart of the green transition.

“Now, there are some facts from very well-established public resources that show that Africa holds one-sixth of the world’s remaining forests, one-sixth of all of the forests,” he said.

He added that Africa could either be the nexus of the world of the solution to the current crisis.

“We can either be, and when I say we, I refer to Africa, we can either be the nexus of the world or the solution to the current crisis, depending on how we choose to develop.

“To achieve this net zero condition, the world needs Africa to take a carbon negative path to develop,” he said.

 The NCF Director General, Dr Joseph Onoja, while speaking with journalists after the lecture, called for a strong governance to ensure full implementation on actions regarding the cilantro growth.

“The S.L. Edu annual lecture provided a platform for us to bring out some conversations on this field and this is an example of that.

“That is why we will continue to push. Apart from the plans that we have, we will need strong governance structure that we will be able to ensure that whatever actions or activities we want to implement will be implemented.

“If we do not have strong governance, then whatever we are doing will be washed down the drain and that’s why we encourage that there should be transparency, accountability in all that we do,” he said.

Earlier, the National Executive Chairman, NCF, Justice Bukola Adebiyi, thanked Osinbajo for the lecture.

Adebiyi urged Nigerians to continue to plant trees for a greener and better environment.

Two Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) students were awarded grants on their respective fields of study.

The two PhD students are Yohanna Christopher and Oluwatoyin Olayinka both studying Plant Ecology and Forest Information System in University of Jos and Ibadan respectively.

By Henry Oladele and Esenvosa Izah

Just Energy Transition in Africa: Lessons from South Africa, Senegal

Michael Simire
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Just Energy Transition in Africa: Lessons from South Africa, Senegal

Just Energy Transition Partnerships (JETP) have been introduced in recent years to provide financial support to developing nations as they transition away from fossil fuels. In 2021, during the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), South Africa became the first nation to sign such a deal. Senegal and the International Partners Group (IGP) signed a JETP in June 2023.

Just Energy Transition
Just Energy Transition

I have said before that the best way for Western countries, and the developed world at large, to help Africa transition from fossil fuels is through investment and collaboration, not patronisation. This is precisely what the JETP programmes seek to do, assist energy emerging economies that are dependent on coal to transition away from fossil fuels while leaving room to address the associated social consequences. That is investment, that is collaboration, and above all, it is respectful of the reality that Africa can move only on its own schedule in this matter. Arbitrarily forbidding us from using our natural resources will only do more harm than good.

So far, South Africa and Senegal are the only African countries to have agreed to a JETP, with South Africa securing a deal for $8.5 billion, while Senegal secured one for $2.7 billion. How South Africa and Senegal intend to leverage these deals differ drastically, however, as do their power generation circumstances.

South Africa: Pulled Between Priorities

Coal continues to dominate South Africa’s energy portfolio, at over 80% of the country’s power generation mix. Due to chronic load shedding and energy shortage issues, the country is now being pulled between two priorities, ensuring energy security and adhering to its decarbonisation plans. General power outages have plagued the country since 2008 but intensified in recent years and effectively hamstrung South Africa’s economy, which has not surpassed even 1% gross domestic product (GDP) annual growth in the last decade.

The country’s aging coal fleet faces significant maintenance issues which led to several of the country’s largest coal units being rendered inoperable in 2023. That year also saw the worst load shedding the country has faced yet, more than twice what it experienced in 2022, leading to energy shortages for 335 days out of the year.

This load shedding led to a sharp increase in demand for solar panels and batteries, but Eskom (South Africa’s power utility) has had to prioritise energy security instead, prolonging its reliance on coal-fired plants and slowing down their decommissioning. To their credit, Eskom has made significant improvements to their coal plants’ maintenance and repair thanks to a recovery strategy launched in early 2023, and they have not suffered another load-shedding event since March 26, 2024.

Nevertheless, the decision to prolong their reliance on coal is at odds with South Africa’s JETP. It has also directly led to the South African government seeking renegotiation of finance deals tied to its transition to cleaner energy sources, amounting to some $2.6 billion of the originally agreed to $8.5 billion.

Above all, right now South Africa requires a solution that will ensure its energy security while also keeping the country on track with its JETP commitments, especially given its peak demand by 2030 is expected to reach 38 gigawatts (GW), a full 6 GW more than its current peak. And even though 13.6 GW of new power plants are expected to come online by 2027, with solar PV accounting for over half and onshore wind accounting for 25% of the new capacity, coal is still expected to meet two-thirds of daily demand. Battery storage assets awarded by South Africa’s Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producers Procurement Programme (BESIPPP) will also contribute to this new capacity. Renewable-based generation in South Africa is also expected to grow from nearly 14.1% currently to nearly 29% by 2030.

I want to be very clear here: South Africa’s renewable energy growth is commendable, and Eskom’s decision to prioritise energy security via coal when an alternative solution wasn’t immediately available was understandable and pragmatic. But the country’s renewables are not advancing fast enough to cover for the aging of its coal fleet, and no amount of emergency maintenance campaigns can ensure that similar issues won’t lead to a load-shedding crisis again. If unaddressed, it will introduce the risk of shortfalls when the coal fleet is inevitably shut down at its end of life. Gas-to-power is thus the most prudent option for South Africa to prioritise while it continues working to expand its renewable power sources.

The flexibility provided by gas-to-power will help meet demand once the coal fleet can no longer provide South Africa’s baseload power, leaving it with only its Koeberg nuclear power plant and currently limited solar and hydropower resources to fill in the gap. Not only is natural gas more cost-effective and efficient as a power source than coal, but it is also relatively cheap to retrofit a formerly coal-fired plant with gas turbines, allowing South Africa to both gradually phase out coal while saving money that would otherwise be spent building entirely new infrastructure.

All of this will matter a great deal, as South Africa anticipates phasing out coal to require $99 billion between 2023 and 2027. So far, it has raised half between their JETP deal with the IGP, $33 billion in private sector investments, and $10 billion from the public sector. South Africa hopes to fill the gap through both domestic and international private entities in the form of grants, guarantees, and concessional loans.

Fewer Struggles in Senegal

Senegal, meanwhile, looks to be having fewer troubles, being reliant on liquid fuel sources rather than coal. The $2.7 billion raised through its JETP is expected to attract and mobilise further investments from both the private and public sectors, much the same as South Africa. Senegal, however, will also be receiving technical assistance from its international partners to boost the integration of its renewable energy infrastructure and technology, with a heavy focus on grid stabilisation and battery storage.

This aligns well with its electrification plans, which aim to achieve 40% of its installed capacity mix provided by renewables by 2030, up considerably from the current 22%. Senegal has also committed to developing an investment plan within 12 months to identify its needs, opportunities, and allocations to meet its targets.

To that same end, Senegal plans to publish a revised nationally determined contribution (NDC) at COP30, set to take place in late 2025. The current NDC outlines an unconditional target of 235 MW of solar PV, 150 MW of onshore wind, and 314 MW of hydro by 2030. With international assistance, these targets are set to rise to 335 MW of solar PV, 250 MW of onshore wind, 50 MW of bioenergy and 50 MW of solar thermal.

Overall, both South Africa and Senegal stand to benefit significantly from their JETPs, and this is a trend I hope to see continue in the future for African states. There are, of course, growing pains. JETPs are still a nascent programme, and the first few deals were signed as political promises first and foremost before the full technical and coordination details could be fully worked out by all sides.

The implementation process for South Africa and Senegal has thus been delayed while consultations and negotiations smooth over the logistical details. In addition, JETPs alone will be nowhere near enough to fully cover the financial burden of transitioning African countries away from fossil fuels, and acquiring the private financial investments to bridge the gap may prove difficult for many countries.

This is why it is crucial for African states, and the world at large, to keep a close eye on how things develop in South Africa and Senegal, as their efforts to address these challenges will no doubt set the example for others.

By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber

Kofi Adu Domfeh: Prayers for rain in LA and the call for climate action

Michael Simire
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Kofi Adu Domfeh: Prayers for rain in LA and the call for climate action

People are praying for rain in Los Angeles, USA, due to the California’ dry climate and the need for precipitation to sustain the environment, agriculture, and daily life.

Los Angeles
Los Angeles, California, USA

Raging fires in the area have killed at least 25, reduced thousands of structures to ash and rubble, and displaced thousands. The fires are among the deadliest in California’s modern history.

Prayers for rain are a common practice in many faiths, seeking divine intervention to end droughts, replenish water sources, and bring relief to those affected by disasters.

In Los Angeles, prayers for rain are particularly relevant during the periods of heatwaves, when the lack of rainfall has exacerbated wildfires, impacted crop yields, and strained local water resources.

By praying for rain, individuals are not only seeking a practical solution to these challenges but also expressing their dependence on a higher power and their trust in its provision.

Though complex, there is a relationship between praying for rain in LA and climate change. Climate change has exacerbated droughts and water scarcity in California, making prayers for rain more pertinent.

Rising temperatures, changing precipitation patterns, and increased evaporation due to warmer temperatures have contributed to droughts in the region.

The prayers for rain can be seen as a response to climate-related stressors; a call for relief from drought’s impacts and a recognition of human limitations in addressing climate change.

But there is the need not to divert attention from human actions contributing to climate change.

Ultimately, prayers for rain in LA reflect a desire for relief from climate-related challenges, while also highlighting the need for continued efforts to address the root causes of climate change.

The vulnerabilities of developing economies

Countries in Africa are currently experiencing varied weather conditions. In South Africa, there are warnings for veld fires in several regions due to high temperatures and dry conditions.

Temperatures are relatively mild in East Africa, but some areas like Mombasa, Kenya are experiencing warmer temperatures, reaching up to 81°F.

In West Africa, countries such as Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal are experiencing warm temperatures, ranging from 77°F to 91°F. For example, Lagos in Nigeria is at 82°F, while Kumasi in Ghana is currently at 91°F.

In Ghana, for instance, extreme weather events, like drought and flooding, are a significant concern. Though there is no such call for prayers as happening for LA, the impacts of the dry season are already telling.

Major fire incidents have been recorded in some major cities of the country in the first two weeks of 2025, and victims continue to count their losses.

Hot and dry conditions mean that if fires ignite, the chances of the blaze spreading are much higher and they are far harder to control.

Like other developing economies, Ghana is presently experiencing more frequent and severe droughts due to climate change, with serious impacts on agriculture, food security, and local livelihoods.

Ghana’s President, John Mahama, has observed “changes in climate conditions, increased population density in urban areas, and mass international travel are enabling existing viruses to spread and mutate at unprecedented rates”.

He believes “this is a serious issue”.

But Ghana’s climate change commitments have suffered the wanton destruction of forests and water bodies through unbridled illegal mining activities.

In 2020, Ghana faced direct economic losses from drought amounting to $95 million. Projections indicate that these losses could escalate to over $325 million annually by 2050 if climate and development actions are not taken.

The effects of droughts are far-reaching, from decreased crop yields and livestock productivity to increased competition for resources, social tensions, and violence. For instance, farmer-herder conflicts over arable land, water, and crop damage caused by trespassing livestock have led to destruction of property, armed robbery, and ethnic marginalization.

The effective implementation of the National Drought Plan will help achieve the goal of providing long-term solutions to land degradation problems and inform policymakers on drought situations.

Time for climate action

The realities of climate change stares in the face of people everywhere, but vulnerable people and communities are most at risk.

Scientists at the World Weather Attribution (WWA) found that climate-worsened disasters killed at least 3,700 people and displaced millions in 2024, a year to be remembered as being the first in recording more than 1.5C hotter than pre-industrial times.

The researchers said climate change had intensified 26 of the 29 weather events they studied during the year. They also found that people around the world experienced, on average, 41 extra days of dangerous heat in 2024 due to human-caused warming.

“The top resolution for 2025 must be transitioning away from fossil fuels, which will make the world a safer and more stable place,” said WWA’s lead Friederike Otto, a senior lecturer in climate science at Imperial College London.

According to him, the “unrelenting suffering” could be alleviated by halting the burning of coal, oil and gas, but instead use renewable energy to power economies, and adapt to climate impacts.

Perhaps the prayers for LA will be backed by climate action: real action to cut emissions from fossils, real action to commit to climate finance for vulnerable countries; real action for adaptation mechanisms to contain risky heat, devastating floods, rising sea levels and powerful storms.

Kofi Adu Domfeh is a Journalist and Climate Reality Leader; adomfeh@gmail.com

African nations express commitment to ending TB by 2030

Michael Simire
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African nations express commitment to ending TB by 2030

Continental stakeholders under the aegis of African parliamentarians, civil society organisations (CSOs), health experts, and development partners have pledged to end Tuberculosis (TB) by 2030 through collaboration.

Mohammed Ali Pate
Prof. Mohammed Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare

They made the pledge at the 5th Africa TB Summit on Tuesday, January 14, 2025, in Abuja.

The summit was hosted by the Global TB Caucus and its partners, like Stop TB Partnership Geneva, the Global Fund, FIND, Light Consortium, and WACI Health.

The summit, supported by Nigeria’s AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control Committee, convened stakeholders from 18 African countries to discuss actionable strategies for ending TB across the continent.

It focused on advancing the commitments made during the 2023 UN High-Level Meeting (UN HLM) on TB.

Participants reviewed progress and explored solutions to accelerate efforts toward the UN HLM target of ending TB by 2030.

One of the summit’s key achievements was the adoption of the Abuja Statement on Financing to End TB in Africa.

This document was co-developed by the Stop TB Partnership, African Union, and Africa Parliamentary TB Caucus.

It outlines a roadmap for achieving TB targets through legislative engagement, increased funding, and strengthened partnerships.

The summit also highlighted critical priorities like domestic resource mobilisation: and increasing funding for TB prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.

Other priorities were policy reforms: enacting laws to improve TB care and reduce human rights violations, among others.

Participants pledged to mobilise resources, enhance legislative support, and engage communities to close gaps in TB prevention and care.

Speakers emphasised the need for sustained efforts to tackle TB

Amobi Ogah, Chairman of the AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria Control Committee, Nigeria, said that parliamentarians were the bridge between commitments and action.

“We must hold ourselves accountable to drive TB eradication efforts,” he said.

The Lord Herbert of South Downs, Chair, Global TB Caucus, said that the leadership of African parliamentarians was critical to ensuring that TB is prioritised within national health policies and budgets.

Mr. Peter Sands, Executive Director, Global Fund, said that Africa had made remarkable strides in reducing TB deaths.

Sands, however, said that sustained investments in innovative diagnostics and treatments were essential to maintaining the momentum.

Mrs. Deborah Ikeh, Director of Programmes, Global TB Caucus, said that proactive parliamentary engagement and budget advocacy can translate commitments into impactful actions that improve TB outcomes.

The summit ended with resolutions to advocate for increased domestic and global funding to close TB gaps.

Participants also resolved to strengthen multi-sectoral partnerships with relevant stakeholders, including Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs), CSOs, and private sector entities.

Other resolutions include prioritising vulnerable groups and affected communities to ensure equitable access to TB care, and advancing investment in innovative diagnostic tools and treatments.

As African nations adopt the Global TB Caucus 2025 Roadmap and implement the Abuja Statement, the summit reinforced the continent’s commitment to ending TB through collaborative efforts and innovative strategies.

By Abujah Racheal

Green hydrogen: Big gaps between ambition and implementation

Michael Simire
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Green hydrogen: Big gaps between ambition and implementation

In recent years, more than 60 countries have developed strategies to stimulate the market ramp-up of hydrogen, particularly in the industrial sector. However, in 2023, less than 10 percent of the originally announced green hydrogen production was realised, shows a new study published in the journal Nature Energy.

Green Hydrogen
Green Hydrogen

The main reason: hydrogen remains an expensive good for which there is little willingness to pay.

Adrian Odenweller and Falko Ueckerdt from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) determine this competitiveness gap for all 1232 globally announced hydrogen projects. They advocate for a robust political strategy that is based on realistic expectations for hydrogen and closes the implementation gap.

“Over the past three years, global project announcements for green hydrogen have almost tripled,” says PIK researcher and lead author, Adrian Odenweller. “However, only seven percent of the production capacity originally announced for 2023 has been completed on time during this period.”

According to the study, the recent problems with the market ramp-up of green hydrogen can be attributed to increased costs, a lack of willingness to pay on the demand side and uncertainties about future subsidies and regulation.

“Enormous additional subsidies of around one trillion US dollars would be required to realise all announced hydrogen projects by 2030,” explains Falko Ueckerdt from PIK, “Green hydrogen will continue to have difficulties meeting the high expectations in the future due to a lack of competitiveness.”

However, permanent subsidies are not a solution. The two researchers therefore recommend using demand-side instruments such as binding quotas to channel green hydrogen specifically into sectors that are difficult to electrify, such as aviation, steel or chemicals. For example, according to an EU regulation, 1.2 percent of all aviation fuels must be blended with synthetic fuels based on hydrogen from 2030. This quota is set to rise to 35 percent by 2050.

Subsidy requirements far exceed announced global subsidies

In their study, the researchers quantify three key gaps between theory and practice: the past implementation gap, the future ambition gap and the future implementation gap. The first results from the difference between originally announced hydrogen projects and the projects actually realised in 2023.

The ambition gap refers to the discrepancy between the amount of hydrogen that would be required by 2030 according to 1.5-degree scenarios and the projects currently announced by 2030. Although announced hydrogen projects are sufficient for the majority of the scenarios analysed, a wide implementation gap remains: The subsidies required to realise all projects by 2030 far exceed the global public financial support announced to date.

The study is based on a global and manually verified project database with 1232 green hydrogen projects announced until 2030. For each of the 14 designated end uses of the projects, the authors calculate the competitiveness gap between the green product and its fossil competitor. Together with the volume and the timing of the project announcements, this yields the subsidies required to realise all projects by 2030.

The researchers warn against fossil lock-ins, which could tie companies to fossil fuels and thus endanger climate targets. In the long term, a transition to technology-neutral market mechanisms such as carbon pricing is crucial in order to limit public costs and ensure a level playing field with other climate mitigation options. They therefore recommend a robust strategy that supports hydrogen projects in the short term through direct subsidies and demand-side regulation but is based on realistic expectations for hydrogen.

Return of debris balls forces closure of nine Sydney beaches

Michael Simire
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Return of debris balls forces closure of nine Sydney beaches

Nine beaches in Sydney, the capital city of Australia’s state of New South Wales (NSW), have been closed following the return of mystery debris balls.

Debris balls
Officials clearing the mystery debris balls

The debris balls had forced beach closures late in 2024.

Sydney’s Northern Beaches Council on Tuesday closed nine beaches under its jurisdiction after being notified about the balls washing ashore by the Environment Protection Authority (EPA) in NSW.

Those that had been closed included the iconic beach at Manly, one of Sydney’s most popular surfing and swimming spots.

“Council was alerted to the debris via the EPA and is working closely with the state agency to collect samples for testing,’’ the council said in a statement.

“So far, most samples identified are marble-sized, with a few larger in size.

“The council is organising the safe removal of the matter and the inspection of the other beaches.’’

It has advised beachgoers to avoid the affected areas and keep away from the material.

According to the council, this came after thousands of debris balls washed ashore at seven beaches in Sydney’s East in October 2024, forcing their closure for several days.

More of the balls were found at two beaches in southern Sydney in December 2024.

EPA tested the debris that washed ashore last October and found that they were made up of hundreds of components, including fat, food, human waste and drugs.

Experts were unable to detect the origin of the debris but said that they likely came from a source that releases mixed waste. 

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