What do you understand by the term ‘Energy trilemma’ seen in the news recently? Discuss in detail about the developments in Africa in this regard.
All over the world, the energy sector today faces a fundamental challenge: balancing the three competing priorities of the energy trilemma – energy security, energy equity and environmental sustainability. Energy security ensures a stable supply of energy. Energy equity requires affordable, universal access and environmental sustainability necessitates limiting emissions and environmental damage.
Unpacking Africa’s energy trilemma
Although the energy trilemma is a problem that many regions are tackling, for Africa, it is particularly pressing, as over 600 million people here live without electricity, power outages are frequent and climate change is having an impact.
1. Energy equity: Who gets power and who doesn’t?
- Access to electricity in Africa is uneven and insufficient.
- Sub-Saharan Africa holds the largest share of the global energy-poor population, with some regions seeing electrification rates below 5%.
- Most electrification gains have come from decentralized solar power. Africa is at the forefront of its rollout, but solar power is not always sufficient to run energy-intensive services like factories.
- Solar drives minor reductions in energy poverty, while failing to be a catalyst for broader, more impactful transformation. In regions where population growth outpaces grid development, energy access gaps will persist without significant infrastructure investment.
2. Energy security: Can the lights stay on?
- Africa’s energy systems are unreliable. Over 75% of the continent’s electricity is generated from fossil fuels, such as natural gas, oil and coal.
- Most of Africa’s energy infrastructure is outdated, a trend exacerbated by a lack of investment in new power plants, transmission systems and maintenance technology.
- As a result, outages are the norm. In Tanzania, power disruptions average over 60 days per year and in Burundi, it’s over 140 days.
- These outages halt production, disrupt services and increase costs. Manufacturers often rely on diesel generators, which are expensive, polluting and inefficient. Stable electricity is the exception for businesses and households, not the rule.
3. Environmental sustainability: Africa’s high stakes
- Africa is responsible for less than 4% of global CO₂ emissions, but climate change has an outsized impact on the continent. Floods, droughts, desertification and heat waves are rising. Climate risk is an ongoing and persistent constraint on development, agriculture, water access and public health.
Challenges associated with Energy transition in Africa:
- Despite having 20% of the global population, Africa receives just 2% of global green energy investment. The following issues drive the gap:
- High perceived political and regulatory risk
- Limited creditworthiness of utilities
- Un-bankable projects
- Currency instability
- Complex permitting processes
- National energy plans often lack coherence, data or implementation capacity. Power purchase agreements are inconsistent or delayed and licensing is slow. Tariffs are frequently below cost recovery. Until investment environments stabilize, capital will remain scarce.
- The Sub-Saharan region faces acute energy poverty, with several countries grappling with challenges related to reliability, affordability and sustainability. Nigeria, for instance, experiences chronic grid failures despite being Africa’s largest oil producer.
- Africa possesses abundant solar, wind, hydro and geothermal resources, but they remain largely untapped due to the following barriers:
- Upfront capital requirements
- Grid integration challenges
- Lack of clear national policy frameworks
- Weak incentives for private investment
- Without structural reforms, clean energy development will lag and fossil-fuel reliance will deepen.
Measures to address energy trilemma of Africa:
- Develop long-term, cross-sector energy strategies. Link generation, transmission and industrial development. Coordinate ministries, utilities and regulators. Use data to prioritize projects.
- No single source is sufficient. Blend base-load generation (e.g., gas, hydro, geothermal) with flexible renewables (solar, wind) and storage to avoid overdependence on any single fuel or source.
- Focus on grid extension, mini-grids and smart grids. Prioritize upgrades to reduce losses and improve reliability. Target areas with high economic potential to multiply impact.
- Simplify permitting, standardize contracts and create predictable regulatory timelines. Price electricity to reflect costs, while protecting vulnerable groups through targeted subsidies.
- Develop technical training programmes aligned with energy projects. Build local capacity for operation, maintenance and innovation. Reduce long-term dependence on foreign contractors.
- Use blended finance, guarantees and co-investment vehicles to bring in private capital. Multilateral banks and development finance institutions must lead in risk sharing, especially for first-mover projects.
- The window for low-carbon growth is narrow, but still open. With clear strategies, political commitment and targeted investment, Africa and the world can build energy systems that serve its people, protect its environment and power its future.
Source:
https://www.weforum.org/stories/2025/05/africa-energy-trilemma-security-equity-sustainability/