The International Energy Agency in Paris has announced that renewable energy will satisfy much of Africa’s growing power needs by 2040, as the continent unlocks its vast hydro-power resources.

South of the Sahara Desert, energy demand is expected to grow 80% as the economy quadruples in size over the next 30 years, with renewable energy supplying almost half of the growth.

These findings are the most detailed study yet of Africa’s energy demand, and they suggest that the continent will take “a major step forward” in spreading electricity to rural areas and bringing people out of poverty.

The IEA, which advises industrial nations on their energy policy, also outlines the scale of the challenge in bringing the African continent closer to the energy standards enjoyed in industrial nations. Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for 13% of the world’s population but only 4% of its energy demand. Only 290 million of the region’s 915 million people have access to electricity.