Electricity in Guinea in 2021
In the year 2021, the average Guinea resident consumed around 23 watts of electricity per person. This is significantly lower than the global average of 412 watts per person. The majority of this electricity comes from low-carbon sources, with hydropower making up the lion's share at nearly 17 watts per person. Fossil fuels contribute a lesser share at around 6 watts per person, while solar power currently only provides a minimal contribution at 0.17 watts per person. These figures demonstrate that Guinea heavily relies on hydropower for its electricity needs, while harnessing close to none from solar power. This underwhelming electricity consumption could lead to critical hindrances in the country's development and urbanization. It's also worth noting that Guinea neither imports nor exports electricity.
Suggestions
Looking internationally, Guinea can glean valuable lessons from countries successfully utilizing low-carbon energy sources. Countries similar to Guinea in terms of resources and size are effectively employing a mixture of energy sources to increase electricity output. Denmark, a country rich in wind resources like Guinea, generates a whopping 369 watts per person from wind power. Australia, a country with a favorable climate for solar energy, successfully generates around 147 watts per person through solar power. These examples indicate that Guinea could improve its low-carbon electricity generation by further developing its wind and solar power sectors. A potential pathway could involve investing in wind and solar farms, coupled with government policies to promote low-carbon energy.
History
The history of low-carbon electricity in Guinea has shown steady but uneven progress. Hydropower has been the mainstay of Guinea's low-carbon energy profile since the late 90s. The earliest data from 1997 indicates an increase in hydropower production by 0.1 TWh, a trend which is mostly replicated throughout the first decade of the 21st century barring slight fluctuations. However, the most noteworthy strides were made in the third decade of the century, where despite periodic declines, significant growth was recorded. Specifically, hydropower production jumped by 1.2 TWh in 2020, a historic increase. Despite the subsequent drop by 0.5 TWh in the following year, it's clear that the capacity and potential for hydroelectric power in Guinea is substantial and is a trend worth continuing and even escalating, in the years to come.