One sentence summary – North Africa has significant solar power generation potential due to its favorable climatic conditions and geographical location, with Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria leading the way in solar capacity, and the region’s unique climate contributing to its solar energy prospects.
At a glance
- North Africa has significant solar power generation potential due to favorable climatic conditions and geographical location.
- Egypt leads the region with the highest solar capacity, currently at 2 GW with an additional 17 GW in development.
- Morocco follows closely behind Egypt with 700 MW of installed capacity and a prospective capacity of 12.5 GW.
- Algeria contributes to the region’s solar capacity with 454 MW of operational capacity and the potential to reach up to 5 GW.
- North Africa already supplies power to Spain and discussions are underway for a potential link to South-West England, showcasing the region’s ambition to expand its renewable energy reach.
The details
North Africa is emerging as a region with significant solar power generation potential, according to recent reports.
This is largely due to the region’s favorable climatic conditions and geographical location.
The climatology of Africa presents different seasonal generation patterns compared to Europe, adding to its unique solar potential.
Egypt’s Solar Capacity
Egypt currently leads the region with the highest solar capacity.
At present, Egypt has 2 GW of installed solar capacity.
An additional 17 GW has been announced or is in various stages of development in Egypt.
Morocco’s Solar Capacity
Morocco follows closely behind Egypt in terms of solar capacity.
Morocco has 700 MW of installed capacity.
The country also has a prospective capacity of 12.5 GW.
Algeria’s Solar Capacity
Algeria also contributes to the region’s solar capacity with 454 MW of operational capacity.
Algeria has the potential to reach up to 5 GW of solar capacity.
North Africa already supplies power to Spain through two existing links from Morocco.
Discussions are currently underway for a potential link to South-West England.
This potential link showcases the region’s ambition to expand its renewable energy reach.
The unique climate of Northern Africa is a key factor contributing to its solar potential.
This climate is characterized by hot summers and strong irradiance.
The sub-tropical ridge of high pressure in the region suppresses rain and clouds, resulting in excellent irradiance during summers.
However, in the southern regions, summers experience seasonal rains and frequent large cloud events.
These weather conditions reduce irradiance levels in the southern regions.
Winters witness a shift in solar potential, with the reach extending further south.
In the northern areas, shorter days impact solar generation during winter.
Meanwhile, western Africa, spanning from Senegal to Nigeria, benefits from clearer days during this season.
Companies like Solcast utilize satellite data and advanced AI/ML algorithms to accurately track and forecast solar resource availability.
Solcast’s high-resolution irradiance models exhibit a typical bias of less than 2%.
This makes their data reliable and widely used.
Currently, over 300 companies managing more than 150 GW of solar assets globally rely on Solcast’s data.
In summary, North Africa’s solar power generation potential is significant.
Egypt, Morocco, and Algeria are leading the way in this regard.
The region’s climatic conditions, including hot summers, strong irradiance, and seasonal variations, contribute to its solar energy prospects.
As renewable energy continues to gain prominence globally, North Africa’s solar capacity has the potential to make a substantial impact on the region’s energy landscape and beyond.
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| – North Africa has significant solar potential for power generation – The climatology of Africa leads to different seasonal generation patterns compared to Europe – Egypt has the highest solar capacity in North Africa, with 2 GW installed and 17 GW announced or in development – Morocco has 700 MW installed, with 12.5 GW prospective capacity – Algeria has 454 MW operational and 5 GW prospective capacity – North Africa already delivers power to Spain through two links from Morocco, with discussions for a link to South-West England in progress – Summers in Northern Africa are hot and experience strong irradiance due to the sub-tropical ridge of high pressure suppressing rain and clouds – Summers further south see seasonal rains and frequent large cloud events, reducing irradiance – Winters see solar potential reach further south, with shorter days in the north and clearer days in western Africa from Senegal to Nigeria – Solcast tracks clouds and aerosols globally using satellite data and AI/ML algorithms to produce high-resolution irradiance models with a typical bias of less than 2% – Solcast’s data is used by over 300 companies managing over 150 GW of solar assets globally. |
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