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Renewable energy is overtaking traditional power projects across Africa, industry leaders say
Africa added a record 11.3 gigawatts of renewable capacity in 2025 as lower costs and faster deployment draw investors toward solar and wind.
- Africa's next generation of power projects is increasingly built around solar and wind power and battery storage, with 173 of 322 energy projects announced in 2025 focused on solar, according to research firm Electron Intelligence.
- Utility-Scale solar power costs have dropped nearly 90% globally since 2010 while onshore wind fell around 70%, making renewables the cheapest electricity source in many African markets and attracting investors seeking faster returns with less fuel price exposure.
- Distributed solar and battery systems installed directly in mines, factories and telecom towers are driving much growth, exemplified by CrossBoundary Energy's 233-megawatt solar and battery project at the Kamoa-Kakula copper complex in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
- South Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia led the continent's renewable expansion, with the Africa Solar Industry Association tracking 23.4 gigawatts of operational solar projects by year-end 2025, though Chinese export data indicate 58.1 gigawatts of solar panels shipped to Africa since 2017.
- While coal plants require up to 12 years to complete and hydropower takes a decade or more, financing costs for African renewable projects run up to triple those in advanced economies, according to the International Energy Agency, leaving finance and political will as primary barriers.
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11 Articles
Associated Press News+10 Reposted by 10 other sources
Renewable energy is overtaking traditional power projects across Africa, industry leaders say
Africa’s energy sector is rapidly shifting toward solar and wind power and battery storage as governments and investors shift away from coal and large hydropower dams.
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Total News Sources11
Leaning Left7Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution64% Left
Bias Distribution
- 64% of the sources lean Left
64% Left
L 64%
C 27%
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