As Africa stands on the brink of a renewable energy revolution, unresolved engineering challenges pose a significant threat to its growth ambitions. Without urgent action to rectify skill gaps in materials engineering, the continent risks missing a crucial opportunity to harness its abundant renewable resources effectively.
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Africa, despite boasting vast renewable resources, is struggling to fully capitalise on its solar power potential due to critical gaps in materials engineering.
While the continent's renewable energy sector promises substantial financial gains on paper, local investors often grapple with disappointing returns on mid-scale solar projects, raising concerns within the industry.
During the second African Root Cause Analysis (RCA) annual conference in Stellenbosch, industry experts highlighted that Africa's burgeoning solar market, which contributes to an impressive 50-60% of current global renewable growth yet accounts for only 2% of installed capacity, is hindered by a troubling skills deficit in materials engineering.
Frederik Theron, Chief Operating Officer of Sustain Group, said that although the decreasing costs of solar and battery technologies have created an environment ripe for investment, many stakeholders are not seeing anticipated financial returns. Investors expecting returns of 8 to 15% are often left with mere 5 to 8%, as plant performance lags due to various challenges, notably extreme heat.
“Solar panels struggle at temperatures exceeding 35 degrees, which leads to diminished efficiency. Moreover, while batteries may initially perform well, their life expectancy shortens substantially under sustained heat,” Theron said.
The additional annual losses due to rising temperatures range from 1 to 7% alongside standard degradation, making robust engineering solutions imperative.
Experts argue that existing engineering standards, primarily derived from Western norms, are not suitably aligned with Africa's unique environmental conditions.
Theron added that imported models can misrepresent the realities of local projects, significantly impacting their viability.
“As engineers, we've engineered ourselves out of the value chain,” he said.
The conference revealed a stark reality: a continent-wide shortage of materials engineers increasingly impedes Africa's growth across the renewable energy and construction sectors.
Lucien Matthews, Executive Beneficiation at Tharisa, pointed to an alarming 2024 report by the International Labour Organization that highlights this deficit, linking it to escalating costs and suboptimal work quality.
Despite improvements in engineering qualification rates in South Africa, Matthews flagged that the overall output has plateaued, hindering necessary advancements.
He noted a significant decline in graduates within materials engineering since 2009 and linked this trend to under-resourced educational institutions and a daunting brain drain, with local talent moving overseas for better prospects or shifting to managerial roles outside their core engineering expertise.
“Our skilled engineers are highly sought after globally, and this exodus, compounded by insufficient training opportunities, is creating a ticking time bomb,” Matthews said.
The adverse effects of this skills crisis are evident, manifesting in project delays, inflated costs, and compromised quality of long-lived assets.
Matthews warned that without adequate specialists for critical processes such as material selection and failure analysis, projects may face increased risks of premature failures and structural degradation.
Dr Janet Cotton, a materials engineer and founder of One Eighty Materials Engineering Solutions, drew comparisons with the United States, where a rich ecosystem of firms provide deep expertise in materials consulting.
“While the US has approximately 3,000 firms offering specialised services, Africa’s ambitions remain thwarted due to our lack of depth in these critical areas,” she stated.
Dr Janet Cotton, a materials engineer and founder of One Eighty Materials Engineering Solutions
Image: Supplied.
In a call to action, both Matthews and Cotton urged the necessity for rebuilding a concentrated pipeline of materials engineers through strategic educational initiatives, industry collaboration, and professional accreditation.
This development is vital to ensure that the continent does not continue to bear a hidden risk in its infrastructure projects.
“Root cause analysis should not merely be a post-failure exercise; rather, it is a proactive approach that can prevent failures in the initial design stages. This conference seeks to delve into the synergy between engineering decision-making, materials selection, and risk management for Africa's industrial future,” said Antonio Massella, Conference Director and disaster risk management consultant.
Alderman James Vos, from the City of Cape Town's Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth, underlined the importance of fostering knowledge within this specialized field.
He stated, “Understanding failures and mitigating risks are paramount for major projects; interlinking this ecosystem is essential for future industrial success.”
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