Africa stands at a crucial crossroads in its pursuit of sustainable development. With ambitions to achieve universal energy access, drive industrialization, and meet climate goals, the continent faces a daunting challenge: how to provide reliable, affordable, and clean electricity to its fast-growing population. Despite significant progress in expanding renewable capacity, many African nations remain plagued by chronic power shortages and infrastructure deficiencies. Yet, amid these challenges, one technology offers a path to both reliability and sustainability-geothermal energy.

Across Africa, the energy deficit remains staggering. More than 600 million people lack access to electricity, and even in countries with relatively developed power systems, reliability is a persistent problem. Nigeria, Africa’s largest economy, loses an estimated $26 billion annually due to power shortages and outages. In Ethiopia and Uganda, frequent blackouts are exacerbated by droughts that cripple hydropower production.

To fill the gap, millions of households and businesses rely on expensive, polluting diesel generators. Nigerian businesses alone spend around $22 billion each year on off-grid fuel to keep the lights on-a figure that underscores both the inefficiency and environmental cost of Africa’s current energy model. Renewable energy technologies such as solar and wind have made significant inroads in recent years, but they remain vulnerable to intermittency. When the sun doesn’t shine or the wind doesn’t blow, grids falter.

This volatility poses a serious problem for African countries, where fragile infrastructure and limited financial capacity make grid stabilization a monumental challenge. To achieve reliable and sustainable energy, Africa must look beyond short-term fixes and invest in a renewable source capable of providing continuous baseload power. That is where geothermal energy comes in.

Unlike solar, wind, or hydropower, geothermal energy is not dependent on weather or seasonal conditions. It harnesses the Earth’s internal heat, converting steam from underground reservoirs into electricity. This........

© Blitz