Chege Publishing

By Chege Moses Kasaija Across Africa, there has been a growing recognition of the importance of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education in driving economic development and innovation. In a continent rich with potential but often hindered by educational inequality and limited resources, the STEMulator emerges as a powerful tool to bridge the gap, offering students in Africa access to transformative learning experiences in STEM.

Across the African continent and beyond, millions of households, industries, institutions, and mines depend on power plants for electricity and other essential utilities. Ensuring these plants run efficiently and sustainably is critical to meeting current energy needs without jeopardizing the future. Diesel and gas power plants are complex systems that rely on large 2- and 4-stroke engines to generate electricity. Maintaining these engines is crucial to ensuring a consistent power supply.

These “forever chemicals” so-called because of their inability to break down in nature have been linked to widespread pollution of water, soil, wildlife and even human bloodstreams. They’re used in everything from non-stick cookware to industrial lubricants and most significantly (for the engineering sector), polymer-based components.

It is important to take on board our energy past to help better understand our energy futures. What is clear is that our energy past has been series of energy additions, not energy replacements, as economies grew, populations expanded, and energy demand increased. Haitham Al Ghais, OPEC Secretary General, digs further into this, and provides context to how our energy futures are likely to evolve. For some, our energy future is simple.

Enterprises in the African mining sector are focused on digitalization and are leveraging autonomous or remote-controlled vehicles, asset tracking, and connecting workers for safety, communications, and remote assistance. Current connectivity challenges, like hard-to-reach coverage areas, network congestion, and Wi-Fi limitations have presented significant challenges in executing on smarter operations.

African manufacturers have a significant role to play in helping to remedy the continent’s energy crises by developing innovative solutions for energy storage and access, writes Mervyn Naidoo. With Africa in the throes of an energy crisis due to several different factors, African manufacturers have the potential to play an important role in helping to provide a solution.

The fast-evolving emobility sector presents a significant opportunity for sustainable growth and job creation in Africa, but some constraints need to be overcome, writes Yael Shafrir. Many South Africans who struggle every day to reach their places of work using minibus taxis or cars on congested motorways may find it hard to believe that an emobility revolution is about to happen. But there are a number of trends moving in that direction.

Governments and their international partners must commit to working toward universal energy access, accelerating the deployment of renewables, and boosting investment in green industries on the continent. Otherwise, Africa may be left out of the clean-energy future, writes William Ruto and Fatih Birol. Many people associate technologies like solar and wind power with efforts to tackle climate change. But for the world’s most vulnerable populations, they are much more than a clean-energy solution.

Leaders in renewable energy transitions around the world all face a similar challenge: how to maintain a stable grid when it is powered by intermittent renewables resources such as wind and solar. It is because of this growing necessity in various energy markets that energy storage solutions have risen in importance and are now recognised as critical components of any successful plan to shift to renewables, writes Jack Rankin.

By Mimi Mefo Newuh Many African countries are eyeing nuclear power to solve electrification challenges. Experts say this is the wrong direction, pointing to solar energy as a welcome alternative for the sunny continent. Burkina Faso is one of the least electrified countries in the world. According to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), only about 20% of the population has access to electricity. Yet electricity is urgently needed and central to economic development.