Offshore renewables could unlock over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits for Africa

Africa possesses immense untapped ocean-based renewable energy potential, particularly in offshore wind, which could provide over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits and millions of jobs. While current deployment is minimal, tapping just 5% of the continent's 6,750 GW offshore wind potential could more than double its current power generation capacity and meet all new electricity demand through 2040. Realising this potential requires significant investment in infrastructure and policy frameworks, as Africa currently receives less than 2% of global renewable energy investment.

• Africa has a theoretical offshore wind potential of 6,750 GW, which is approximately 28 times the continent's current total power generation capacity across all technologies.
• Utilising only 5% of Africa's offshore wind potential would add 338 GW of capacity, producing 1,332 TWh of electricity annually. This would be enough to meet all new electricity demand on the continent through 2040 and could generate over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits and 5.9 million jobs.
• Southern Africa holds the highest offshore wind potential, led by South Africa with 1,632 GW and Namibia with 1,259 GW. South Africa's potential alone could provide nearly 30 times its annual electricity demand.
• Other nations with significant potential include Libya (585 GW), Somalia (447 GW), Morocco (382 GW), Mauritius (333 GW), and Madagascar (234 GW). Kenya could deploy 68 GW of floating turbines and up to 9 GW of seabed-fixed turbines.
• Beyond wind, Africa has potential for other marine energies: Southern and East Africa have resources for wave energy, OTEC, floating solar, and ocean currents, while West Africa has wave power potential.
• Transitioning to offshore wind could avoid significant environmental damage; adding 338 GW of capacity would prevent approximately 690 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, potentially avoiding USD 50 billion in annual ocean-related damages based on 2030 social cost of carbon projections.
• Significant barriers to deployment exist, as Africa receives less than 2% of global renewable energy investment. Success requires a four-pillar approach: clear strategy, policy targets, frameworks for spatial planning and grid connection, and delivery of supply chains and financing.

APA

Hedley, N. (2026). Offshore renewables could unlock over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits for Africa. Zero Carbon Analytics. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/renewables/offshore-renewables-could-unlock-over-usd-1-trillion-in-economic-benefits-for-africa/

Chicago

Hedley, Nick. Offshore renewables could unlock over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits for Africa. Zero Carbon Analytics, 2026. https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/renewables/offshore-renewables-could-unlock-over-usd-1-trillion-in-economic-benefits-for-africa/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Hedley |first1=Nick |title=Offshore renewables could unlock over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits for Africa |publisher=Zero Carbon Analytics |date=17 June 2026 |url=https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/renewables/offshore-renewables-could-unlock-over-usd-1-trillion-in-economic-benefits-for-africa/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{hedley2026offshore, author = {Hedley, Nick}, title = {{Offshore renewables could unlock over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits for Africa}}, institution = {Zero Carbon Analytics}, year = {2026}, month = jun, url = {https://zerocarbon-analytics.org/energy/renewables/offshore-renewables-could-unlock-over-usd-1-trillion-in-economic-benefits-for-africa/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }