President Wade's solar initiative

President Wade

Sengalsese President Abdoulaye Wade has initiated a "battle of the sun" to make sure that Africa industries don't vanish if Europe harnesses the potential of the sun before Africa does. If they do, Wade says they will have the added advantage of producing at cheaper cost, making any competition from the continent less likely.

Speaking to Francophone Magazine Les Afriques, President Wade said the "battle of the sun" would make sure Africa is provided with free energy.

"ECOWAS has just given me a mandate to produce solar energy for all of West Africa. This design of solar power for energy independence through solar energy is what I have proposed in Copenhagen," he said.

"Special resolution on solar energy"

President Wade's plan was endorsed by African leaders at the recently concluded 38th ordinary summit of ECOWAS in Cape Verde. It was done after he made a presentation in which he described how Africa's constant sunshine and the use of the Sahara could allow the continent to enjoy virtually free resources to meet its energy needs.

At the summit, a "special resolution on solar energy" was passed that acknowledged Wade's solar proposal and mandated him to pursue it. Leaders also urged member states to assist in providing technical and financial experts to President Wade 'in view of establishing the Commission on solar power that shall operate under his chairmanship and authority'.

In recent years, European firms such as the Desertec Initiative have been eyeing the Sahara to use as a massive solar farm to power Europe completely. However Wade feels that the power could also benefit Africa.

"Solar energy is unique in that the investment is expensive initially, but after three years it decreases ... So I can say I'm going to offer free energy to the continent," Wade told Les Afriques. He added that the energy consumption of Africa is 70,000 megawatts, and he added that with a 100,000-megawatt plant, "we could have energy self-sufficiency for 15 more years."

According to the ECOWAS secretariat, the Africa region has one of the lowest energy consumption rates in the world with only 20 percent of households having access to electricity.

"I have the financial arrangement, I will not reveal it for now, but I told them that in time I will," Wade said. He added that he'd already met with some Senegalese engineers and those of other countries regarding the project, and that President Lula of Brazil had promised to put an engineer at his disposal for the project.

Could we soon hear an announcement for a massive West African solar project? Could it destabilise the Desertec project? Anything is possible.

Relevant articles:

Desertec: Powering Europe from the Sahara | African solar power to power Europe? |The Great Green Wall of Africa

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