In 2022, Guinea's electricity consumption is primarily based on hydropower and fossil fuels, with the country generating slightly more than 2 TWh from low-carbon sources and around 1 TWh from fossil sources. This indicates that over two-thirds of Guinea’s electricity comes from clean sources, dominated by hydropower, while the rest comes from fossil fuels. Compared to the global average of 3606 watts per person, Guinea's electricity consumption is relatively low. This disparity suggests potential challenges in ensuring stable access to electricity, which could affect economic development, healthcare, and education, as well as limit possibilities for technological advancement and industrial growth.
To elevate low-carbon electricity generation, Guinea can learn from countries effectively utilizing solar and wind energy. For instance, Brazil, which possesses geographic and developmental parallels with Guinea, successfully generates 97 TWh from wind and 61 TWh from solar. India, another key example, generates 125 TWh of electricity from solar and 92 TWh from wind. By investing in solar and wind technologies, Guinea can capitalize on its natural resources, such as abundant sunlight and geographic conditions favorable for wind power. Moreover, Guinea could also explore the potential of developing nuclear energy, an efficient and resilient option evident in countries like South Korea and Canada, which generate significant portions of electricity from nuclear sources.
Throughout its history, Guinea's clean electricity production has been predominantly through hydropower. The growth of hydropower in Guinea has been fluctuating, with incremental increases of about 0.1 TWh in years like 1983, 1997, and 1999, and larger improvements observed around 2015 and 2019, with an increase of 0.5 TWh and 0.6 TWh respectively. A significant leap occurred in 2020, where the country’s hydropower generation increased by 1.2 TWh. However, Guinea has also experienced some setbacks, including decreases in hydropower generation, most notably in 2003 and 2021 with declines of 0.2 TWh and 0.5 TWh respectively. This history underscores the need for Guinea to diversify its low-carbon energy portfolio to ensure sustained and stable growth in clean electricity generation.