Abstract:
Access to energy brings development and economic growth. Even though fossil fuels have led to increase electricity production and improvement in living standards, there are environmental challenges, fuel scarcity, and high prices associated with fossil fuels. This has shifted the focus to renewable energy as a basis for low-carbon, affordable and sustainable energy. To accelerate energy access, all countries in the West Africa sub-region are to adopt the exploitation of renewable energy technology. The region’s population in 2015 is about 353.2 Million out of which 53.9 % lives in urban areas. Presently, 198 million people (about 57% of the population) live without access to electricity. The region’s annual population growth is about 2.4%, with annual average rural-urban migration of about 4%. The power sector is challenged with high technical and commercial losses, which is about 21.540%. National access to electricity supply is about 35.1%, urban 53.9% and rural 23.5%. Energy generation is made up of 31 % renewable energy (non-hydro is 8.2% and 22.8 % hydropower). Conventional energy is largely gas contributing to 64% of energy generation and the remaining 5% is from other sources/imports. Renewable energy technology require the support of sound policies and programmes to overcome barriers to their deployment. Common challenges to development of renewable energy in the sub region includes policy, regulatory, financing, investment, technology, human resources and institutional capacity; limited public awareness; lack of standards and quality control; and inadequate resource assessments. The challenges further identified barriers for each country are to be mitigated by formulating policies and widen speedy capacity building. The identify potential of small hydropower in the region is 1,872MW out of which only 82.6MW was developed constituting about 4.5% of the total potential. Small hydropower development is a proven source of renewable energy technology for production of electricity in rural communities. This dissertation focuses on developing small hydropower in West Africa using the potential, backed by sound policy at both national and local level. Finally, gaps in the development of renewable energy particularly small hydropower, the way forward and some recommendation as to how to mitigate these challenges is also discussed.
