Can Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative be the Continent’s Holy Grail?
- December 4, 2023
- Posted by: OptimizeIAS Team
- Category: DPN Topics
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Can Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative be the Continent’s Holy Grail?
Subject : Environment
Section: Int Conventions
Africa Green Industrialisation Initiative (AGII):
- Launched on December 2 at the 28th Conference of Parties (COP28) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at Dubai, UAE.
- It aims to upscale and accelerate green industries and businesses across Africa was launched by presidents and representatives from Kenya, Angola, Burundi, Djibouti, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal and Zambia.
- The initiative underscores the importance of green industrialisation to harness Africa’s vast and quality resources to secure prosperity for all.
- It incorporates elements of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Agreement, discourages fossil fuel production and use that immensely contributes to global warming.
Approach of AGII:
- The initiative will bring together African Governments, initiative’s partners and other supporting institutions to offer accelerated end-to-end green growth solutions for committed government.
- The work will be organized in two parallel and mutually enforcing work streams:
- Delivering transformational projects
- Effecting Systemic change
Why AFRICA?
- Africa has 40 per cent of the world’s critical minerals necessary for energy transition such as bauxite, chromium, cobalt, copper, gold, iron, etc.for instance it contains the world’s largest reserves of manganese needed for making solar panels etc.
- The continent’s potential of exporting green steel through reserves of iron ore and production of green hydrogen.
- There are huge bauxite reserves for green aluminium and renewables assets in the Sahel region.
- It has the world’s largest natural carbon sink.
Other Important topics from the topic:
Green Ammonia:
- Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless gas made of hydrogen and nitrogen. It’s widely used in fertilizer production, household cleaners, and industrial applications. It’s also a byproduct of biological processes and can be found in nature, like in soil, water, and the atmosphere.
- Green ammonia refers to ammonia that’s produced using renewable energy sources for its synthesis. (The term “green” signifies its environmentally friendly production process, as it avoids fossil fuels and reduces carbon emissions compared to traditional methods.)
Some important Methods of producing green ammonia are:
- Haber-Bosch synthesis: It involves the use of renewable electricity, like solar or wind power, to produce hydrogen through water electrolysis. This hydrogen is then combined with nitrogen (usually obtained from the air) to create ammonia through a process called Haber-Bosch synthesis.
- Biomass Conversion: Processes such as gasification or pyrolysis can transform biomass into hydrogen-rich gas. This hydrogen can subsequently be employed in ammonia production together with nitrogen.
- Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells (SOEC): SOECs have the capability to directly convert steam into hydrogen using renewable electricity. This resultant hydrogen can be incorporated into ammonia synthesis.
- Green Hydrogen: Green hydrogen refers to hydrogen produced through a process called electrolysis, where renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or hydroelectric power are used to split water into hydrogen and oxygen. This method generates hydrogen without emitting greenhouse gases, making it environmentally friendly.
Some method of producing it are:
- Electrolysis using Renewable Energy: This method involves using renewable energy sources like solar, wind, or hydroelectric power to perform electrolysis on water, splitting it into hydrogen and oxygen. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) electrolysis and Alkaline Electrolysis are two prevalent techniques used for this purpose.
- Biological Production: Certain microorganisms or algae have the capability to produce hydrogen through biological processes like photosynthesis or fermentation.
Source: Down To Earth