Africa to double renewables capacity by 2030

• The country’s combination of utility-scale auction programmes, corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), and a booming distributed solar market has positioned it as the region’s undisputed leader in clean-energy growth.

• Solar PV will drive the bulk of the continent’s renewable expansion, contributing nearly 80% of new capacity. The IEA attributes this dominance to falling costs, faster permitting, and growing social acceptance of solar energy.

• Our take: Grid investments must be fast-tracked to keep pace with project development… Read more (2 min)

Wetility’s “OneBill” set to revolutionise how SA bills power

• Under this model, customers don’t buy solar panels up front. Instead, they lease the system through a long-term energy service agreement, while Wetility covers the installation cost and recovers it over time through subscription fees.

• The company is also pioneering innovations such as AI Mode, a smart energy management system launched a few months ago that uses data to optimise energy use and increase savings.

• Our take: African governments need policies that make integration of this technology seamless.… Read more (2 min)

Allied Gold gets a renewable upgrade

• Diesel generation in off-grid mines can cost 3 times more per kilowatt-hour than solar plus storage. For a mine like Sadiola, where energy is 25% of operating costs, hybrid systems offer a direct margin advantage.

• Mining companies are increasingly turning to renewables amid rising costs and sustainability pressures. Companies like Kamoa Copper in the DRC are developing a 222 MW solar system with a 526 MWh battery system for baseload power.

• Our take: This signals confidence in renewables as foundational to the next generation of African mining… Read more (2 min)