Jerrell Ong Zhe Heng

Renewable energy technology transfer to the Global South: A critical perspective

There is an urgent need for technology transfer of renewable energy, perpetuated by the vast disparity in the origin of climate innovation, the majority of which occurs in the Global North. In questioning the prevailing paradigm of a linear flow of capital and knowledge from the Global North to the Global South, the knowledge and capital flows governing South-South transfers are mapped with network methods. A coherent understanding of these flows will lead to better facilitation of South-South transfers, which are increasingly significant due to economic and geopolitical shifts. Informed by key themes from a literature review of 23 relevant papers and book chapters, we adopt a data-intensive network approach to study the debt financing of 72 renewable energy projects funded by Southern-led multilateral institutions, and the patent citation network of 12044 wind turbine patents alongside 8398 solar photovoltaic patents granted in the USA since 1974. The results show firstly that South-South financing is intricately tied to North-South flows through co-financed projects, although this trend has weakened; secondly, that South-South capital flows towards local players over joint ventures or foreign subsidiaries, suggesting the transfer of tacit knowledge crucial to technological deployment i.e. construction, operation and maintenance; lastly, that Southern firms are increasingly involved in upstream knowledge generation, indicating that progressively more South-South transfers are shaped by technological innovation. However, the nuances and complexities within the Global South which underpin these findings challenge the North-South dichotomy, suggesting the need for a new conceptual model beyond binary classifications by income-defined development level. Only then can scholarship and policy more effectively drive technology transfers through holistic and strategic planning, facilitated by effectively allocated investment.