Meeting Future Electricity Needs in the East African Community : Mapping Renewable Energy Potential

Sammanfattning: The East African Community (EAC) is an intergovernmental organisation comprised of six countries, five of which are classed as having a low development level and one of which is classed as medium. The region has low rates of human development and electrical connectivity but is committed to meeting the universal access and clean energy goals of Sustainable Development Goal 7. This thesis seeks to explore the renewable energy potential of the EAC at a regional level. There is little study of the energy situation of the EAC as a specific region, contrasting this work to the majority of similar analyses that focus on the national or sub-Saharan level. The potential for solar PV and wind power in the EAC was examined through an analysis of existing energy systems, a simplified multi-criteria analysis through geographical information systems, and a comparison with similar work by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA). The region was shown to have a small but growing electricity sector and a primary energy system dominated by traditional biomass. The mapping analysis identified large areas across all studied countries as potentially suitable for on- or off-grid renewable energy. It also highlighted issues with the results of IRENA’s work in its current form. Solar PV and wind energy potential across the EAC is shown to be high, with a low carbon electricity sector consequently a possibility for the region in the future.