Chinese-backed renewable energy projects in Africa

Aims

Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) in September 2013, energy infrastructure has become one of the central elements of this ambitious multilateral development initiative. Yet, the majority of the Chinese finance went to large hydropower and fossil fuel sectors, which sparked widespread controversy over its impact on climate change, local environments, social inequalities, and debt sustainability of the borrowing countries, especially those in Africa. In recent years, Chinese investors gradually shifted focus to renewable energy sources, particularly on-shore wind and solar PV sectors. This Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) commissioned project investigates the potentials and challenges of both large-scale and grid-connected wind and solar farms in Africa where about 43% of the population do not have access to electricity. We investigate the policy, financial, industrial and social factors that drive or deter investment in wind and solar projects from both ends (i.e., China and Africa).  As these factors may vary significantly among different African countries, we adopt a comparative case study approach in Ethiopia and South Africa to understand the complexity associated with the different phases of project development and finance and their impacts on host countries.

Principal Investigator

Dr Frangton Chiyemura