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A small number of floating solar plants are already operating across Africa and over a dozen more are being planned. Advocates say the technology can not only generate power, but also expand the generation capacity of underperforming hydroelectric power reservoirs. As dams age and water becomes scarce, development finance institutions could a play critical role in funding the growth of a still-nascent technology, writes Tonderayi Mukeredzi.

After a period of economic and political turmoil, embattled Kenyan President William Ruto has been forced into a major government restructuring. The shape of a new coalition with the main opposition party the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is still being finalised, but it will likely have a difficult time trying to steer the economy and government finances to a position of greater stability.

The UK/Norway-owned IPP Globeleq has raised $99m of debt financing for Mozambique’s first wind project, adding to its southern African portfolio. Despite industry pessimism over the prospects for utility-scale projects, Globeleq is advancing a large pipeline of greenfield renewable and gas capacity in eastern and southern Africa and is bullish over the future of utility-scale projects, writes Marc Howard.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has formally cancelled a $1m grant to the now-abandoned Kibera Waste Pilot plant in Nairobi, following extensive procurement problems and a breakdown in its relationship with developer Asticom Kenya.

Senior Kenyan officials have confirmed that the government’s moratorium on independent power projects should be lifted soon after the controversial 2024/25 budget is approved by the National Assembly. However, the passage of the finance bill has become entangled with anger over a cost-of-living crisis, with protestors storming the parliament on 25 June and even President Ruto’s apparent about-turn not calming tensions, writes Jon Marks.

According to cabinet secretary for energy Davis Chirchir, the Kenyan government’s moratorium on IPPs is ‘unsustainable’, amid the risk of future loadshedding due to shortage of supply, while other advances are in the pipeline, including wheeling tariffs and the supply of power through embedded networks, writes Neville Otuki in Nairobi.

IFC and the Italian Climate Fund are investing in Eni’s project to increase biofuel feedstock production and processing in Kenya.

Koko Networks, which supplies bioethanol for ‘clean cooking’ and has grown rapidly since launching in Kenya in 2019 is now targeting 1m households in Rwanda. Supported by carbon credit sales, its distribution and sales network has demonstrated a business case for decarbonising cooking, writes Marc Howard in Nairobi.

Shortfalls in financial flows, failures to deal with debt and a lack of voice in global decision-making arenas are longstanding issues that African leaders are now seeking to address, with leaders from Ghana, Kenya and Zambia setting out a blueprint for reform covering everything from UN Security Council seats to the reallocation of $100bn-worth of assets held by the IMF. The extent to which these ambitious goals can be achieved could prove critical to Africa’s ability to finance and structure the energy transition on its terms – but the continent’s governments also need to accelerate their own reforms.

A degree of pressure has been lifted from President William Ruto, as his government secured $1.65bn from a dollar eurobond, as well as over $1bn from multilaterals, allowing Nairobi to avert the threat of default on its big repayment due in June. The shilling has emerged stronger, but the economy remains fragile, while the electricity supply industry is in need of a significantly improved performance. President Ruto is focused on reducing the cost of electricity and has devised a three-point plan to invest in transmission and distribution, develop LNG import facilities and accelerate geothermal power. His government may also try to lower end-user tariffs by slowing down the granting of PPAs or putting pressure on the regulator.  

Kenya has put in place a green hydrogen framework giving impetus to a growing number of private sector projects that could drive capital-intensive post-carbon industries. African Energy rounds up the renewable energy-driven projects that are making the running in Kenya’s early-stage GH2 economy.

Milele Energy – part-owner of the Lake Turkana wind farm – has been hiring as the Nairobi-headquartered IPP developer it prepares to expand its African project portfolio.

The sale by Denmark’s Investment Fund for Developing Countries of a minority stake in the successful Lake Turkana IPP to a fund managed by BlackRock shows big institutional investors can be attracted to sub-Saharan renewables – and the returns that can be made by those willing to shoulder early-stage risks.

Nairobi-headquartered developer Equator Energy has commissioned a 0.75MWp grid-tied solar PV plant for Nandi Tea Estates (NTE)’s factory in Nandi County, 300km north-west of Nairobi.

KenGen is seeking contractors to supply runners for the Seven Forks hydroelectric power (HEP) plant. The five HEP plant cascade provides over a fifth of the country’s electricity and is the site of a major solar PV programme.