Africa's Energy Transition
Challenges, Opportunities, and Geopolitical Dimensions
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12700/jceeas.2025.5.1.343Keywords:
African Energy, Transition, Energy Security, Sustainable Nuclear Energy, African Energy SecurityAbstract
Africa stands at a crossroads in its journey toward an energy transition framed by climate impacts, increased energy demands, and the drive for sustainable development. This article looks at the energy landscape of the continent, emphasizing regional differences, infrastructure development, and geopolitical factors. North Africa is making progress in integrating renewable and nuclear energy new futures, while the state of affairs in sub-saharan Africa is hampered by feeble economies and unstable governance. It emphasizes the need to invest in sustainable energy forms, especially solar, wind and green hydrogen, and the question of nuclear energy in energy supply to meet increasing demand. Major challenges still exist money — missing infrastructure, financial gaps and public scepticism. It further underscores the role of partnerships outside of the continent, namely BRICS and China, and the role they playin developing Africa’s future energy through technology and finance transfer. It also explores the potential of mining critical minerals, which are crucial for renewable energy technology, as well as the social, economic and environmental issues associated with extraction. Infrastructure development becomes a linchpin of energy access and economic prosperity while, public-private partnerships and regulatory reform become facilitators. The report concludes that Africa’s energy transition is transformative but will require well coordinated and inclusive efforts in governance, financing and technology to deliver a sustainable and equitable energy future for the continent.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Kristóf Stölczer, Tamás Szádeczky, János Besenyő
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