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The Kumasi waste-to-power plant will pioneer changes in off-grid energy development and waste management in Ghana. Installed with pyrolysis technology, the hybrid plant is supported by the German government.

Investors in Africa’s power sector have been forced to fight aggressively for the most promising projects, as they have become frustrated with a lack of on-grid opportunities. Trends that emerge from African Energy’s industry soundings and analysis of project flow in the African Energy Live Data (Live Data) platform include investors taking advantage of technological and business innovation – as well as the availability of climate-linked finance – to move into commercial and industrial (C&I) solar.

Major installed capacity gains are expected as mega-projects come to fruition, with hydroelectric power (HEP) driving growth in several regions.

Frequently treated as an afterthought to electrification, clean cooking equipment suppliers have quietly been making inroads on the back of deepening supply chains, technological innovation and maturing business models, writes Dan Marks.

Release, the containerised solar power unit set up by Norway’s Scatec, has signed agreements for solar PV and battery projects in Cameroon and Chad – the first large utility and mini-grid contracts it has signed since being launched in 2019.

Off-grid plants of up to 10MW are to be permitted in mini-grid zones to attract private sector investment as part of a major new initiative to increase rural electrification. Stakeholders in late October outlined bold policy reforms to overcome low rates of electrification – with an overall official access rate of only 40%, falling to just 8% in rural areas – that have added to popular criticism of the authorities’ ability to drive inclusive development.

Kenya Power (KPLC) is looking to install captive solar PV facilities for commercial and industrial (C&I) customers, in a move to counter recent grid defections by large power users who are increasingly opting for grid-tied solar to slash their energy bills.

The European Investment Bank (EIB) has agreed a $12.5m loan for Engie subsidiary Fenix International to deploy 240,000 solar home systems in Uganda. According to Engie, the loan will result in 1.4m Ugandans gaining access to electricity.

African nations, the governments of partner countries, international financial institutions (IFIs) and private investors are increasing their commitments to achieving universal energy access, the seventh of the United Nation’s sustainable development goals (SDG7). But the prospects of reaching the SDG7 target by 2030 are receding as population numbers continue to rise. A daunting amount of work remains to be done if SDG7 is to be achieved. In a newly published report commissioned by the Africa-EU Energy Partnership (AEEP), Cross-border Information – the parent company of African Energy – has analysed financial flows towards SDG7 over the past seven years and their estimated potential trajectories to 2030 and beyond.

Chadian developer ZIZ Energie has confirmed to African Energy the dates it expects its solar PV mini-grids in Ati and Moussoro to come online. The two projects have faced numerous delays due to supply constraints and financing issues.

Developers of small hydropower (SHP) projects in East Africa are facing greater challenges in raising finance for their schemes, as a result of weak national grids and a shift away from take-or-pay arrangements by offtakers, according to one industry figure.

The German government-supported Clean Energy and Energy Inclusion for Africa (CEI Africa) fund said on 2 June it had awarded $7.3m in grants to three solar PV mini-grid developers for projects in Kenya.

Independent power producer (IPP) Kaboni Energy has commissioned its first Burundian mini-grid pilot system in the rural Giharo, Rutana province. The development is noteworthy for its funding model, which Kaboni calls a community energy co-operative (CEC).

US-based developer Husk Power Systems has secured funds from investors, which it will use to scale up its solar mini-grid developments in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. Husk – which was established in 2008 – claimed its new Series D funding was “the largest-ever equity raise in the mini-grid industry”.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) and its partners are planning to create what they call the world’s largest mini-grid market in Nigeria, using the new Leveraging Energy Access Finance (Leaf) financing model to support the Rural Electrification Agency (REA)’s Nigeria Electrification Programme (NEP).