Nairobi/Changsha, November 24 (Xinhua) — Big Energy in Microgrids – China Africa Green Energy Cooperation Empowers Sustainable Development
On the outdoor ground of the Saint Tu railway station in Guinea, 8832 square meters of deep blue light panels are neatly laid out. In October of this year, the Sany Silicon Energy Microgrid project completed power transmission and commissioning here and was officially put into operation, achieving photovoltaic energy storage coordination and full load green power supply, with an annual photovoltaic power generation of about 4 million kilowatt hours.
In sub Saharan Africa, due to population dispersion and limited power grid coverage, many regions still rely on expensive diesel power generation. Moreover, the weak basic power grid has long constrained power supply, becoming a key factor hindering economic development.
In response to the common “pain points” faced by enterprises, Chinese companies have provided customized solutions – Sany Silicon Energy, a subsidiary of Sany Group, brings a photovoltaic microgrid overall solution to local enterprises. Through the “source grid load storage” mode, multiple energy sources are organically integrated to solve the problems of difficult and expensive electricity consumption in multiple scenarios.
Xu Zhongtian, General Manager of Global Investment and Development at Sany Silicon Energy, introduced that microgrids use photovoltaics, wind power, energy storage, and other technologies to build stable and closable power grid systems. They can operate on the main grid or operate independently to achieve green power “island” operation. At present, it is mainly used in grid connected scenarios, green mines, industry and commerce, transportation facilities, agriculture, and data centers.
At the Ruida mine in Zambia, with the integration of the Sany Silicon Energy “Light Storage Diesel” microgrid system, the diesel generators that had been running continuously in the past have been shut down. Zhang Liang, the general manager of the South African subsidiary of Sanjongying, introduced that previously the mine relied on diesel power generation, with a cost of over 4 yuan per kilowatt hour, high noise and pollution, and unstable power supply, which affected normal mining operations. After the completion of the microgrid, the proportion of green electricity in the Ruida Mining project will exceed 95%, and the annual power generation will reach about 30 million kilowatt hours, reducing the cost of electricity to one-third of the original. The copper mine will save about 40 million yuan in electricity bills annually, achieving energy self-sufficiency.
At present, Sany Silicon Energy has signed more than 20 microgrid projects in eight African countries. The headquarters base of Sany Group in South Africa will also build a “photovoltaic+energy storage” production line to help South Africa build a green industrial hub in Africa.
China has long supported green development in Africa, and the cumulative installed capacity of photovoltaic power stations built through China Africa cooperation has exceeded 1.5 gigawatts. The “Africa Green Development Index and China Africa Green Development Cooperation Report (2024)” co authored by Hunan University points out that China has unique advantages such as a mature policy system, advanced green technologies, strong innovation capabilities, and rich environmental governance experience, while the African continent has urgent development needs and local development strategies.
In Cameroon, Huawei Cameroon is advancing the third phase of a rural off grid solar power plant project. Since signing a contract with the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy of Cameroon in 2012, the project has constructed nearly 500 off grid solar power stations and achieved commercial use, with a total installed capacity of 32.8 megawatts and an annual cumulative power generation of 47.9 gigawatt hours. In multiple remote areas of Ethiopia, off grid photovoltaic power stations constructed by China Electric Power Equipment Co., Ltd. have enabled over 6500 households and nearly 30000 people to access clean energy. In Mali, the solar energy demonstration village project undertaken by China Geological Engineering Group has installed over a thousand sets of off grid solar household systems and various types of public solar facilities, benefiting tens of thousands of people.
In addition, China officially launched the “African Light Belt” project for South South cooperation in addressing climate change at the 2023 Africa Climate Summit. The project plans to help 50000 impoverished households in Africa solve their electricity and lighting problems within 3 years, and create a demonstration zone for Sino African photovoltaic resource utilization cooperation through the construction of the “PV+” project, policy research, capacity building, and technical exchanges.
With more and more green energy projects such as microgrids being implemented in Africa, China Africa green energy cooperation is accelerating from policy vision to practical results of sustainable development.
Jonathan Tites Williams, Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development of Sierra Leone, recently stated in an interview with Xinhua News Agency that green energy projects are a clear example of China Africa cooperation transforming into tangible industrial investment, technology transfer, and employment opportunities. I look forward to seeing similar projects promoted to more African countries, including Sierra Leone. I believe that with the support of all parties, China Africa cooperation will continue to inject momentum into innovation, partnership, and common prosperity