About ADEA

Association for the Development of Energy in Africa

a.d.e.a. has set the following objectives:

To study the issues and challenges affecting energy in Africa and ways of providing access to this energy under safe and reasonably affordable conditions, a factor which is essential to sustainable development;
To determine the resources which will be needed for developing production and energy consumption, with prices in line with local living standards, especially in relation to electricity;
To organise forums which would provide for depth of thought on salient issues and establish partnerships for products and their distribution;
To publish articles, recommendations, and works which would promote this approach.

Since a coordinated approach is possible, the Association is a think tank which focuses on efficiency, solidarity and partnership.

Energy in Africa:

More than anywhere else an absolute necessity

In Africa, like the rest of the world, economic development, basic living standards and even survival greatly depend on access to energy. Most Africans, however, have insufficient access to energy, if they have any at all. Energy consumption in Africa (excluding wood and charcoal) is the lowest in the world with an average TOE (ton of oil equivalent) of 0.6 ton per capita. This is three times less than the world average, seven times less than in Europe and fifteen times less than America.

If one considers that the Republic of South Africa accounts for 40% of Africa’s energy consumption on its own and that North African countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and Egypt) also have a relatively high level of demand, this means that the average consumption in Sub-Saharan Africa is so low that it does not make possible the economic development required to reduce poverty..

Lack of access to commercial energy means the widespread use of traditional energy sources –human and animal traction– and especially biomass which represents 75% of the continent's total energy consumption. As currently used, essentially for domestic purposes, this gives rise to serious problems: wood collection puts a strain on society (it takes time and is mostly done by women), it contributes to deforestation and causes health problems due to smoke inhalation within the homes.