Africa: Investment in renewables at an “alarming” level

Investment in renewables in Africa is at an "alarming" level despite the continent's enormous potential.

Share:

Investment in renewables in Africa is at an “alarming” level despite the
huge potential of the continent, and are trailing at an 11-year low in 2021, according to a BloombergNEF (BNEF) report released Wednesday during COP27.

“Only $2.6 billion in capital was deployed for wind, solar, geothermal and other renewable energy projects in 2021, the lowest in 11 years,” said the report, released on the occasion of the UN climate conference in Sharm el-Sheikh, promoted as an “African COP” by the Egyptian presidency.

Investment in renewables worldwide climbed 9% year-on-year to its highest level ever last year.

Meanwhile, they have fallen by 35% in Africa, which accounts for only 0.6% of the $434 billion invested in renewables worldwide.

The continent, whose electricity production still relies heavily on polluting and costly fossil fuels, is falling behind “despite Africa’s exceptional natural resources, rapidly growing demand for electricity and an improving policy framework,” notes the consultancy BNEF.

Africa has an obvious potential in solar energy but only has 1.3% of the world’s solar energy capacity.

The report also highlights the high concentration of investments in a few countries: South Africa, Egypt, Kenya and Morocco, which since 2010 have accounted for nearly three-quarters of the total.

“Investment in clean energy in Africa is at an alarmingly low level,” lamented Michael Bloomberg, UN Special Envoy for Climate Action.

“Changing this requires new levels of collaboration to identify viable clean energy projects and bring them more private financing and public support – to turn Africa’s potential as a global clean energy leader into reality,” added the former New York City mayor.

The authors identified “barriers” that limit the deployment of these energies in Africa, such as the lack of knowledge of the opportunities in the sector on the part of national investors or poor planning to promote the expansion of electricity networks.

The report suggests looking to countries that have successfully addressed these barriers, highlighting, for example, the successful bidding process in Brazil or the mobilization of Mexico’s national development bank.

Nearly USD92bn will be invested by major American and international groups in new data centres and energy infrastructure, responding to the surge in electricity demand linked to the rise of artificial intelligence.
Nouakchott has endured lengthy power interruptions for several weeks, highlighting the financial and technical limits of the Mauritanian Electricity Company as Mauritania aims to widen access and green its mix by 2030.
Between 2015 and 2024, four multilateral climate funds committed nearly eight bn USD to clean energy, attracting private capital through concessional terms while Africa and Asia absorbed more than half of the volume.
The Global Energy Policies Hub shows that strategic reserves, gas obligations, cybersecurity and critical-mineral policies are expanding rapidly, lifting oil coverage to 98 % of world imports.
According to a report by Ember, the Chinese government’s appliance trade-in campaign could double residential air-conditioner efficiency gains in 2025 and trim up to USD943mn from household electricity spending this year.
Washington is examining sectoral taxes on polysilicon and drones, two supply chains dominated by China, after triggering Section 232 to measure industrial dependency risks.
The 2025-2034 development plan presented by Terna includes strengthening Sicily’s grid, new interconnections, and major projects to support the region’s growing renewable energy capacity.
Terna and NPC Ukrenergo have concluded a three-year partnership in Rome aimed at strengthening the integration of the Ukrainian grid into the pan-European system, with an in-depth exchange of technological and regulatory expertise.
GE Vernova has secured a major contract to modernise the Kühmoos substation in Germany, enhancing grid reliability and integration capacity for power flows between Germany, France and Switzerland.
The National Energy System Operator forecasts electricity demand to rise to 785 TWh by 2050, underlining the need to modernise grids and integrate more clean energy to support the UK’s energy transition.
Terna has signed a guarantee agreement with SACE and the European Investment Bank to finance the Adriatic Link project, totalling approximately €1bn ($1.08bn) and validated as a major transaction under Italian regulations.
India unveils a series of reforms on oil and gas contracts, introducing a fiscal stability clause to enhance the sector’s attractiveness for foreign companies and boost its growth ambitions in upstream energy.
The European Commission is launching a special fund of EUR2.3bn ($2.5bn) to boost Ukraine’s reconstruction and attract private capital to the energy and infrastructure sectors.
Asia dominated global new renewable energy capacity in 2024 with 71% of installations, while Africa recorded limited growth of only 7.2%, according to the latest annual report from IRENA.
US President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act dramatically changes energy investment rules, imposing restrictions on renewables while favouring hydrocarbons, according to a recent report by consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie.
On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.