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The power generation industry of Africa is undergoing a revolutionary transformation, and coal thermal power plants are the pillar of the energy industry of most countries. While sources of energy widely utilized are being replaced by renewable energy, coal thermal power plants are also part of Africa's energy industry because they are very effective and economical. But to serve environmental needs and become more efficient, coal power generation technology advancement and the modernization of African coal-fired power plants are becoming a priority quickly.
New trends in operating new coal plants, benefits of modernization, and how African nations can implement cleaner and efficient technologies to harmonize energy consumption and sustainable development are addressed in this article.
All the African countries, including Morocco, Zimbabwe, and South Africa, rely predominantly on coal to produce electricity. For instance, more than 70% of electricity in South Africa is generated by coal-fired power stations, which would have to be retrofitted to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.
Waste in the infrastructure, inefficiencies, and environmental issues are all challenges. Without technology upgrades, coal-fired power plants might be phased out or face more regulatory fines for their carbon emissions.
High-Efficiency, Low-Emissions (HELE) technology is among the sophisticated ways of reducing emissions without a proportional drop in the generation of energy. The technologies maximize the efficiency of power generation, i.e., reduced CO₂ per unit of power.
l Supercritical and Ultra-Supercritical Boilers – Higher temperature and pressure, and boost efficiency by a factor of around 45-50% over an average subcritical plant of 33-37%.
l Fluidized Bed Combustion (FBC) – Reduced sulfur and nitrogen oxide emissions, cleaner fuel for upgrading African coal-fired power plants;
New in Africa, CCUS is a new decarbonization technology for coal power plants. Ante-release CO₂ capture enables African nations to meet climate goals decades before complete coal phaseout;
New technologies for coal power plants are:
l Electrostatic Precipitators (ESP) – Particulates are removed from the flue gases.
l Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) – Emissions of sulfur dioxide are reduced.
l Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) – Emissions of NOx are reduced.
These are the world's most sophisticated environmental controls.
There is predictive maintenance, emissions monitoring in real-time, and combustion of quality fuel in the coal power plants with integrated AI and IoT. It reduces downtime and operating costs and improves efficiency.
l High Capital Costs – It is an expensive procedure to retrofit coal-fired power plants, and to some African nations, that might be too risky.
l Regulatory Uncertainty – Shifting policies regarding the consumption of coal would disrupt long-term planning.
l Competition from Renewables – Wind and solar becoming cost-competitive provides the coal-based economies with a reason to diversify.
l Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) – Technology upgradation in coal power plants can be financed by foreign investors along with governments.
l Job Creation – Jobs can be created during the period of modernization from qualified engineering and technology positions.
l Energy Security – New plants provide a reliable baseload supported by variable renewables.
These new coal-fired power stations employ supercritical technology and the latest emissions control, an African template for retrofitting coal-fired power stations.
Morocco is emphasizing renewables and retrofitting its existing coal-fired power stations with HELE in a bid to transition to an equitable energy transition.
Coal-fired power plants will be the reality for generations in Africa, but with technology upgradation and deployment for coal-fired power plants only. African nations can reduce emissions to the minimum level as they achieve energy through the application of HELE technology, CCUS, and digital technology.
The path forward lies with investment, innovation, and policies supporting the modernization of coal-fired power plant in Africa to be aligned with economic and environmental objectives.
What are your thoughts regarding the future of coal in Africa? Share your opinions with us in the comments!
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