Ecomondo 2024, 3SUN stars at the 'Africa Green Growth Forum': our modules support sustainable development in Africa
Through our presentation at the leading annual event on green and circular economy, we illustrated a case study on the performance benefits and reduced soil occupation achieved by using our solar panels in Morocco
7 November in Rimini. During Ecomondo 2024, the fourth edition of the Africa Green Growth Forum took place. The event was organized by Ecomondo and the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security (MASE), in collaboration with the Prime Minister's Mission Structure for the Mattei Plan. Its purpose was to bring to light new opportunities for cooperation in the green and circular economy sectors that can involve Italy and the African continent.
National and international speakers took turns on the stage of this 4th edition, and we were also present, to provide our feedback on our experience as speakers at the 'First high-level management course in renewable energies and energy transition' held in Morocco a few days earlier. We presented the benefits of using our high-performance solar modules in Morocco, curated by our sales manager for large ground-mounted systems, Mirco Torquati. Representatives from Ecomondo, MASE and the Mission Structure for the Implementation of the Mattei Plan of the Prime Minister's Office were joined by other speakers from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Embassy of Morocco, Enel Foundation Managing Director, Giulia Genuardi, and Paolo Cutrone, representing the RES4Africa Foundation which carries out initiatives to support the energy transition in Africa, such as training courses for new professionals in the energy sector.
The path to a green Africa
Two main topics were the focus of the Africa Green Growth Forum: training new professionals in renewable resources and electricity infrastructure on the African continent, and supporting the biofuel supply chain in Kenya, in short, the goals of the Mattei Plan.
At present in Africa, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as much as 75% of energy resources are derived from fossil fuels, natural gas and coal. In this situation, it is clear that renewables play a marginal role, compared to the potential in hydroelectric, wind and, above all, solar energy that the African continent can count on. The aim is, therefore, to accelerate the path towards a more sustainable energy production.
Among the decisive technologies in this process, solar power plays a leading role, given the immense potential of Africa, which, in this respect, is the continent with the highest solar irradiation in the world and, at present, exploits just 1% of its territory for solar installations. "Just 3-4% would be enough to easily reach the growth targets," said Torquati. By 2040, according to the IEA World Energy Outlook, renewables will have to account for 43% of energy production sources compared to 25% today. Of that 43%, 15% will have to come from solar power.
Case study: benefits of 3SUN modules in Morocco
In his speech, our sales manager illustrated the energy situation on the African continent and then outlined the possibilities offered in the coming years by a conscious and targeted use of photovoltaic technologies and modules produced in our Catania Gigafactory.
In this regard, Torquati presented a case study on the advantages of using 3SUN modules in countries such as Morocco, where there is a high percentage of hours of sunshine. We identified a 81 hectare area in the province of Essaouira as the ideal location to install a system consisting of 3SUN B60 74,280 double-sided heterojunction modules which guarantee an estimated 88% performance level, as well as proving to be extremely high-performing compared to the competition's top-of-the-range technologies in terms of smaller surface area, higher power and performance, even calculated at 30 years.
The project will provide energy to about 70,000 households per year, reducing CO2 emissions by about 70,000 tonnes. A further important confirmation of how the efforts made in R&D over the past few years and the commitment put in to make our solar modules ever more efficient and high-performance are the best way for 3SUN to become a leading player in sustainable change, even on a global level.