Zambia recorded the highest growth rate in its cost of CO2 emission in 2020
The cost of damage caused by carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels in Zambia increased from 0.46% in 2009 to 1.77% in 2021. As of 2023, the southern African nation's population was estimated to be 20.6 million individuals.
South Africa dominates with 30 battery storage systems, the largest by far.
Egypt is the second-largest market with 7 projects, while Morocco has 4.
Nigeria and Senegal have five projects each (operational + pipeline).
Several countries, including Ghana, Togo, Angola, Botswana, DR Congo, and Mauritius, each have just one or two projects, indicating an uneven spread across the continent.
South Africa also leads in systems under construction (7).
Operational projects are still limited continent-wide, with most systems either under construction or in the planning pipeline.
Urban electricity access has remained between 80% and 89% since 1990, never crossing to 90%.
The inability to achieve universal access suggests that infrastructure expansion has struggled to keep pace with rapid urbanisation and population growth.
Periodic dips in access, such as in 2010 and 2015, point to challenges in maintaining consistent electricity supply rather than just extending connections.
Insufficient generation, outdated grids, and policy inefficiencies have constrained Nigeria’s ability to deliver reliable and universal electricity access even in its urban centres.
Rural electricity access increased from just 4% in 1990 to about 33% in 2023, showing gradual progress over three decades.
The data reveals irregular jumps in certain years—such as 2003, 2011, and 2016—likely tied to temporary electrification programmes or revised data estimates. D
espite improvements, nearly two-thirds of rural Nigerians still lack electricity, underscoring a wide disparity in energy access across regions.
The slow rate of expansion highlights ongoing issues with investment, grid extension, and maintenance that continue to limit rural electrification efforts.
