A new special report by the IEA World Energy Outlook states that increasing access to modern forms of energy can provide the key to unlocking faster economic and social development in sub-Saharan Africa.

In the IEA’s first comprehensive analysis of the region, it finds that Africa’s energy resources are more than sufficient to meet the needs of its population, but that they are largely under-developed.

Presently, some 620 million Africans lack assess to electricity. The report argues that this is unlikely to change without huge investment to fuel a renewable energy revolution that supports more energy efficient, smarter technology, suitable for rural Africa. Action in the energy sector could unleash an extra decade of growth for the continent, according to the IEA Executive Director Maria van der Hoeven

A better functioning energy sector is vital to ensuring that the citizens of sub-Saharan Africa can fulfill their aspirations," "The energy sector is acting as a brake on development, but this can be overcome and the benefits of success are huge.

The report places a specific focus on three action areas that could boost the sub-Saharan economy by a further 30%. These actions are:

• An additional $450 billion in power sector investment, reducing power outages by half and achieving universal electricity access in urban areas.
• Deeper regional co-operation and integration, facilitating new large-scale generation and transmission projects and enabling a further expansion in cross-border trade.
• Better management of energy resources and revenues, adopting robust and transparent processes that allow for more effective use of oil and gas revenue

The report also however warns that these actions alone can not unleash the full economic and social potential of the continent. Broad governance reforms are also needed to ensure that a modern, integrated energy system is available for all.