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

This briefing by Zero Carbon Analytics, in partnership with the Global Offshore Wind Alliance and Ocean Conservancy, examines the potential for offshore wind and marine energy in Africa. It highlights that the continent's 30,500-kilometre coastline could support 6,750 GW of offshore wind, which could significantly exceed current power generation capacity and provide substantial economic and environmental benefits if scaled.

• Africa possesses immense untapped potential for ocean-based renewables, with a 2026 study estimating the continent could install 6,750 GW of fixed-bottom and floating offshore wind turbines. This potential is approximately 28 times the continent's current total power generation capacity across all technologies.
• Utilizing just 5% of Africa's offshore wind potential would add 338 GW of generation capacity, producing 1,332 TWh of electricity annually. This would be more than the continent's total power output from all sources in 2025 and could meet all new electricity demand growth up to 2040.
• The economic impact of adding 338 GW of offshore wind would be significant, potentially creating 5.9 million jobs and delivering over USD 1 trillion in economic benefits. This is supported by data indicating that every USD 1 million invested in offshore wind yields 25 jobs, which is five times more than fossil fuels.
• Southern African nations exhibit the highest offshore wind potential. South Africa leads with 1,632 GW of potential, which could theoretically deliver 6,434 TWh of power per year—nearly 30 times the country's annual electricity demand. Other high-potential countries include Namibia (1,259 GW), Libya (585 GW), Somalia (447 GW), and Morocco (382 GW).
• Beyond wind, other marine energy technologies are being explored. A floating ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) facility is in development off São Tomé and Príncipe, starting at 1.5 MW with potential expansion to 10 MW. Other technologies include ocean current energy, tidal energy, wave energy, and salinity gradient energy.
• Transitioning to offshore wind could mitigate severe environmental damage caused by fossil fuels. For example, in the Niger Delta between 1990 and 2022, an estimated 705,100 barrels of oil were spilt, destroying 5,644 hectares of mangrove forest annually from 2016 to 2024. Adding 338 GW of capacity would avoid approximately 690 million tonnes of CO2 emissions annually.
• Despite the potential, Africa receives less than 2% of global renewable energy investment. Scaling offshore wind requires advances in financing, enabling policy frameworks, and infrastructure such as ports, transmission grids, and regional planning, as exemplified by the Africa Clean Energy Corridor (ACEC).

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} }