Africa: Energy And Digitalization In Africa

600 million. This is the alarming number of Africans who still live without access to electricity. This figure h ighlights the scale of the continent’s energy challenge. However, with an estimated growth rate of 3.7% in 2024, Africa is displaying an economic vitality that stands in stark contrast to the much more moderate rate of 0.9% expected for the European Union.

Nevertheless, this dynamic is likely to be hampered by a persistent energy deficit, which hinders not only economic development but also the transition to green energy on the continent. Access to energy and the energy transition are two intertwined challenges: without massive electrification, the deployment of sustainable infrastructure, and the rollout of renewable energies, it seems difficult to create sustainable value.

Africa faces a major energy paradox. While the continent holds almost 60% of the world’s solar resources, it exploits only a tiny fraction of them. In 2023, the continent attracted only 4% of global investments in clean energy, while its share of installed solar capacity remains below 1%. Driven by the rise of digitalization and rapid industrialization, energy demand is growing exponentially, while supply is struggling to keep pace.

Nevertheless, solutions exist to overcome these challenges and ensure a stable energy supply, which is essential for a sustainable transition. This includes smart photovoltaic (Smart PV) technologies coupled with energy storage systems (ESS). These combined solutions are preferred for developing 100% renewable microgrids, thereby addressing the growing electricity demand and the intermittency of solar energy.

They pave the way for sustainable electrification of off-grid areas, such as mining sites or isolated rural zones, where electricity demand is rising alongside development and industrialization. These technologies optimize the lifecycle of photovoltaic installations, enhancing their efficiency and longevity. Coupled with reliable and high-performing storage systems, this model reduces dependence on fossil fuels and ensures a sustainable energy transition in Africa.

The rapid rise of digitalization in Africa is transforming all sectors, particularly strategic industries. In recent years, this transformation has accelerated with the adoption of artificial intelligence and the growing efforts by many countries to prepare for its integration to support socio-economic development. It is essential to accompany this progress, which is reflected in the expansion of intelligent infrastructures and growing demand for computing power and storage capacity, given the volume of data to be processed.

This creates additional constraints for industries. In this context, data centers must meet enhanced requirements in terms of both quality and capacity across the continent. Being highly energy-intensive, these date centers are subject to continuous energy supply demands, representing a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions. Currently accounting for 2% of global emissions, they play a key role in the challenges of energy transition. This digital transformation is based on one essential imperative: to ensure stable and continuous access to electricity. Therefor e , it becomes crucial to rethink the energy model, reconciling supply security with the transition to more sustainable energy sources.

To address the energy supply challenges posed by data centers, the company is developing a range of innovative, integrated solutions specifically designed for these intelligent infrastructures. Through an approach based on four key pillars – reliability, sustainability, simplicity and intelligence – Huawei offers a future model for accelerating the transition to low-carbon solutions, while optimizing the industry’s performance and resilience. These solutions include power supply systems that enable intelligent regulation, effectively eliminating rough manual adjustments and reducing exposure to widespread failures with innovations like intelligent cooling and predictive maintenance through artificial intelligence.

This dual commitment emphasizes a strong conviction: digital transformation cannot be achieved without an ambitious energy transition. This approach not only improves the stability and energy efficiency of infrastructures, but also significantly reduces their energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. The energy performance of the data center industry highlights the close relationship between Africa’s digital transformation and the need for an ambitious and sustainable energy transition.

Energy relies on a complex ecosystem where innovation can only be a collective process. In this regard, I am deeply convinced that the energy transition requires a complete overhaul of collaboration dynamics. It must mobilize expertise and resources of all stakeholders to support the development of a local energy industry that is adapted to African realities.

Industry players have a particular responsibility: to provide tools, platforms and expertise to support this collective dynamic. In this spirit, Huawei Digital Power offers its partners reliable, open platforms designed to stimulate innovation and optimize the design of solutions aimed at accelerating the energy transition. This is just the first step; the journey is just beginning.

To truly transform the African energy ecosystem, concerted action is essential – a “multi-level” action, as I would call it. This involves strengthening dialogue between institutions, companies, and regulators, actively engaging in initiatives led by standards organizations, and building strong industrial alliances that bring together public and private actors. These collaborative platforms are essential for promoting cutting-edge innovations, establishing standards adapted to African realities and guaranteeing their implementation on the ground.

There will be no successful energy transition or sustainable economic growth without a collective, integrated approach to these challenges. Africa has everything needed to establish itself as a development model for sustainable industrialization. By leveraging renewable energy technologies such as smart photovoltaics and energy storage systems, along with optimized data center infrastructures, I am convinced that the continent will be able to build a resilient and intelligent energy ecosystem, while successfully achieving its energy transition.