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Africa’s new powerlines – extending regional networks
With the rising number of renewable energy projects increasing generation capacity in Africa, more extensive powerline connectivity aims to build regional power networks. In line with this vision, Namibia and Angola are among those countries in Southern Africa that are using their respective competitive advantages in renewable energy sources. With its wind and solar resources, Namibia aims to produce low- carbon electricity and green hydrogen – opening the door to the production of green hot briquetted iron. In Angola, the proposed Baynes Hydropower Plant on the Kunene River plans to generate 600 MW of clean power. To distribute this energy to mining complexes, industrial hubs and other demand points, a number of powerline projects are currently under way. According to Darryll Kilian, partner and principal environmental consultant at SRK Consulting (South Africa), these interconnectors will increase the potential for sharing energy across borders within the Southern African region. Exporting power “African countries are generating power for their own use, and many are looking to increase electricity sales across their borders,” says Kilian. “An added advantage of extending this infrastructure is that it provides greater network resilience if there are temporary shortages caused by breakdowns or – in the case of hydropower
Market outlook In each case, the different material platforms discussed stretch across the three quantum technology market verticals (computing, sensing, and communications), such that technologies and products across different market verticals can often benefit from the same material innovations and new foundry capabilities. The groundbreaking Materials for Quantum Technologies report assesses the material opportunities in the quantum market verticals (computing, sensing, communications), and in each material platform (superconductors, photonics, nanomaterials). This multi- dimensional analysis highlights the intersections between different products, illuminating key materials opportunities in the quantum industry. The report is supported by IDTechEx’s extensive market research across the quantum technology market verticals, photonics, and advanced materials. The full report expands on the opportunities highlighted here, providing a detailed examination of the technical innovations, key players, market forces, and supply chain dynamics across superconductors, photonics, and nanomaterials for the quantum industry. From le: Darryl Kilian and Kavandren Moodley, both from SRK Consulting (South Africa). – reduced generation due to drought.” To accelerate energy projects in the Southern African Development Community (SADC), the World Bank has invested almost US$30 million with the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP), Kilian notes. Continued on page 32 About the author Noah El Alami is a Technology Analyst at UK-based market intelligence firm IDTechEx, focusing on quantum sensing technologies. He graduated from Oxford with a first-class degree in MPhys Physics, specialising in Condensed Matter Physics and Quantum Information Processing.
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which are deposited on semiconductor wafers. When cooled to cryogenic temperatures, these circuits exhibit macroscopic quantum properties with very little noise due to the low-temperature environment. Examples of commercialised quantum products built on superconducting chips are: SQUIDs (superconducting quantum interference devices), SNSPDs (superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors), and superconducting qubit quantum computers (qubits are quantum bits, the fundamental units of quantum information). Photonic systems encompass a wide range of optics and photonic components for quantum technologies. One of the most exciting approaches in this field is the use of photonic integrated circuits (PICs), which can be used either for the manipulation of single photons as carriers of quantum information, or to miniaturise the optics needed to address atomic and spin systems. Photonics are central to quantum networking and photonic qubit quantum computing but are also gaining traction for trapped ion and neutral atom qubits as well as various types of quantum sensors. Nanomaterials and diamond cover a range of materials such as CNTs (carbon nanotube devices), quantum dots, and 2D/2.5D materials. Artificial diamond with implanted point defects has recently gained traction as a material platform for developing both commercial quantum sensors and computers, showing potential as a robust and scalable material platform for quantum systems that can be operated at room temperature.
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FEBRUARY 2026 Electricity + Control
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