Electricity in Central African Republic in 2021
The Central African Republic currently consumes extremely low levels of electricity, with a total electricity consumption of 3.14 watts per person in 2021, all of which is low-carbon energy sourced from hydropower. Compared to the global average consumption of 412 watts per person, the Central African Republic's consumption is very low. Central African Republic does not import or export any electricity from or to any other countries, meaning its energy infrastructure is purely domestic. The implication of such a low level of electricity consumption could be attributed to an underdeveloped infrastructure incapable of producing higher amounts of electricity. This, in turn, possibly impacts negatively on the development of the country’s industries and technological advancements.
Suggestions
To increase its low-carbon electricity generation, the Central African Republic could harness its resources and learn from the successes of other countries with similar circumstances. For instance, Uruguay - a smaller country like the Central African Republic - has managed to significantly generate low-carbon electricity through wind power, generating up to 160 watts per person. Meanwhile, Australia has tapped into solar power generation, yielding 147 watts per person. Given the Central African Republic's geographical location within the tropical region, it has great potential for both solar and wind energy generation. Implementing similar strategies could vastly increase the Central African Republic's low-carbon electricity generation.
History
Looking at the history of low-carbon electricity in the Central African Republic, there has been a distinct trend of stability over the years. From the year 2000 to 2019, there has been a consistent generation of 0.1TWh from hydropower YoY(Year over Year), with no increase or decrease. During this entire period, the Central African Republic relied solely on hydropower for its low-carbon electricity generation. The stagnant nature of this energy data portrays a lack of diversification in energy sources, and underlines the need for the Central African Republic to explore and nurture alternative forms of low-carbon electricity generation such as wind and solar power.