Bringing Electrification Based on Renewable Energy To the Developing World
Kenny Hearn from South Africa writes:
Highly underdeveloped countries have all the making to move directly to renewables. Mozambique has a massive hydroelectric plant already, Namibia has massive potential for solar thermal to power surrounding countries and the list goes on. And this is where my query comes in… In your book your views of hydrogen are not by any means becoming due to the large infrastructure required to replace existing in the US. While I believe this to be true regarding developed countries, those developing countries with little infrastructure at all currently still have the opportunity to go this route if technology does indeed reach a good standard… A company I have identified called ITM Power in the UK seems to be at the forefront of this putting them into containers which would be perfect for developing African countries. This and surrounding countries have a lot of sunlight and huge water supplies from the great Zambezi river. The two could combine to make masses of hydrogen. We then have to get governments to negotiate deals with large hydrogen vehicle manufacturers to these vehicles on a line to send to Africa (which will not be difficult). Governments will be enthused by the ability to move away from its ability to not be dependent on oil deficits.
Kenny: Personally, I don’t believe hydrogen is the answer anywhere on the globe. As battery technologies continue to improve, I believe that EVs, charged with renewables, can and will form the future of transportation. I like the efficiency by which electricity can be generated from renewable resources, and I like the ubiquity of electricity in the developed world.
And actually, my preference for electricity over hydrogen is even more distinct in the developing world, where bringing electrification to these people for the first time is arguably the single most important humanitarian effort we face. It will mean better health, better education, stronger and smaller families, and less incursion on natural resources. When looked at in this light, it becomes clear that this mission is far more than philanthropic; its success is directly tied to the quality of life for all of us living anywhere on Earth.
I listened to an interview with Melinda Gates last night in which she talked about overcoming the challenges associated with bringing contraception to women who desperately want it. I found it interesting that her foundation’s thinking has landed her at the same place that my own has taken me: our civilization’s ability to control its population is an absolute requirement if we are to navigate a path to a sustainable future. Electricity will foster education, and educated women have much smaller families.
