David Wotherspoon, head of new geographies for UK based OWC, has been investigated the potential for offshore wind energy across Africa and believes this sub-sector holds promise. Wotherspoon will explore the question of whether offshore wind could play an affordable role in South Africa’s energy transition and whether it can provide a path for power-to-x models that could provide other ‘green’ forms of energy carriers or uses at the Enlit Africa conference in June.

He specifically suggests taking an integrated look at the opportunities presented by an offshore renewable energy industry which provides a more balanced assessment of a national level development than simply focusing on immediate price. “Developers and financiers will look for a stable and planned investment environment – provide this and interest will arrive,” said Wotherspoon.

One of the biggest challenges facing creating an offshore wind sector in South Africa, and by extension developing the wind sector across Africa, is “attracting affordable finance for project developments is an issue in emerging market sectors.

“Getting the right balance of private and public sector commitments and balancing local and international supply chain requirements for the first projects is always subject to debate,” said Wotherspoon.

He believes in order for African countries to take advantage of the wind sector’s potential they need to take a long-term view for industrial development and push for the financing commitments made at COP26 to be met.