Electricity + Control February 2017

COMMENT

I find that many folk see their vision of the future clouded by so much dust in the air. True, the rains have come… but the dust has not settled. And as we watch a peculiar new world begin to emerge, one has to wonder if the dust will ever settle. However, through this dust, a rather interesting image of Africa is beginning to emerge. As much of the world becomes more insular, there is an indication that Africa is starting to speak to itself. More than that, I suspect that there will be a number of developed nations, watching the world move politically towards the right, which will begin to develop strategies of working with, and to the benefit of, Africa. As fast as we seem to be seeing ‘great’ nations become more insular, so African nations are beginning to emerge. What will characterise that emergence? The most significant thing that will characterise Africa for the next 50 to 100 years will be the energy landscape and rapid urbanisation. These bring with themopportunities – opportunities to do things from the start, to do them better than they have ever been done elsewhere. Let’s be clear … fossil fuels are part of the mix, massive transmission networks are part of the mix – and so they should be … all part of the old world charm that lights up developing nations. Equally, consider that you could drop the whole of France and the whole of Germany into the gap between the major planned trans- mission networks on this continent, and a different picture begins to emerge – one that speaks to alternative energy sources, and all that is good about them. With that comes a need to rethink the model of energy consumption that has characterised the world for so long. This continent is huge; it is resource-rich – and it is happening. It also brings real challenges.

How exciting!

The biggest human migration in history is happening now, in Africa, as rapid urbanisation continues. It is estimated that urbanisation will increase up to fivefold (and even more) across huge swathes of the continent by 2050. Imagine the challenge – and opportunity – that this poses? Undoubt- edly with that will have to come economic growth – which led to the urbanisation in the first place!

Change is a good thing. But imagine how big this wave will be?

Are we up for it? And will we catch it?

Ian Jandrell Pr Eng, BSc (Eng) GDE PhD, FSAIEE SMIEEE

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Quarter 3 (July - September 2016) Total print circulation: 4 694

February ‘17 Electricity+Control

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