By Toyin Akinosho
Algeria needs to build a large renewable energy market to save itself from a good problem.
The country produces enough electricity to supply the 44Million people who inhabit its 2.382Million km² of space. But Algeria’s high production of power from natural gas means it has to burn significant volume of methane in its gasfired thermal plants that it would rather export. To earn foreign exchange, Algeria desperately wants to export more hydrocarbon than it currently does.
Algeria’s renewable energy supply is small. In 2022, it generated 448 MW of solar power; 228 MW of hydroelectricity, and 10 MW of wind power. The country is starved of water resources, so its hydro power growth is stunted.
Despite that it is starting from a low base, an analyst’s report suggests that western companies considering relocating their manufacturing capabilities away from Asia should see Algeria a viable alternative, “given its well-developed ecosystem, dynamic, qualified, cost-effective labour, low-cost energy, and Free Trade Agreements with Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Africa”.
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