Book Description

Africa needs power—power to enhance the welfare of its people and expand its economies. But Sub-Saharan Africa’s power sector has the lowest generation capacity in the world. Two-thirds of the regional population remains without electricity and even those with access consume the least among the world’s regions. Businesses say unreliable electricity is a major hurdle. Meanwhile, vast energy resources remain untapped. One possible solution is to leverage the mining industry’s substantial need for power as an anchor for energy infrastructure development. 'The Power of the Mine: A Transformative Opportunity for Sub-Saharan Africa' is the first study to systematically analyze both the potential and the challenges of power-mining integration. The findings show that industry demand for electricity can be a game changer. Mining operations often devote a quarter or more of operating costs to electricity. This consistent, high-volume demand can spur development of national power systems, thus expanding electrification for the populace. As a result, citizens can also benefit from safe, adequate access to electricity. Countries benefit from larger exports and tax revenues, more business and job opportunities, and higher GDP. Utilities benefit from having creditworthy mining partners as a core source of revenue that attracts investment. And mines benefit from the significant cost reductions a stable power grid provides. 'The Power of the Mine' will be of interest to policymakers, researchers, and business analysts engaged in energy infrastructure development.