June sees 14,000 MW in new renewables projects

From the newsletter

The announcements in the month of June for new renewable energy projects under development totalled more than 14,000 MW and 4,500 MWh of battery energy storage. This is 4,000 MW less than in May, but it continues the general trend of increased focus on renewable projects. At least 2,500 MW of projects were completed, mainly in Egypt and South Africa.

• Every month, Renewable Rising tracks announcements of clean energy projects under development in Africa. Since February 2025, we have listed 170 projects totalling more than 35,000 MW and 10,000 MWh of battery storage systems.

• The month of June marked the first inclusion of a wind + battery energy storage project in our tracker. This milestone was highlighted by a $23 million financing package to support the Cabeólica Phase II Expansion Project in Cabo Verde.

More details

• In June, we tracked fewer projects, 41 compared to 73 in May. However, the overall capacity difference was relatively small, with June seeing just 4,000 MW and approximately 400 MWh less. These projects were distributed across 16 countries, four less than in May.

• The projects were quite evenly spread across their development stages. The announced, under construction, and completed projects each made up about 18% of the total. The pre-construction phase took the largest portion at 46%, indicating a strong pipeline of projects actively securing funding and moving towards financial close.

• Geographically, North Africa led the way in renewable energy project capacity, recording 5,770 MW. Central Africa followed with 4,842 MW, and Southern Africa contributed 3,206 MW. West Africa had 464 MW, while East Africa concluded with 73 MW. 

• Looking at country-specific performance, DR Congo emerged as a leader with its Grand Inga Dam, a 4,800 MW capacity project that secured funding. Egypt also continued its month-on-month success in renewable projects, with 3,900 MW under development, followed by South Africa with 2864 MW and Morocco with 1,870 MW.

• When analysing battery energy storage capacity, Southern Africa was the clear leader, accounting for 4,088 MWh. North Africa followed with 300 MWh, then West Africa with 92 MWh, and Central Africa with 23 MWh. East Africa reported no battery storage projects. 

• On a country level, South Africa dominated with battery energy storage projects, announcing 2,464 MWh of standalone BESS projects for its third battery storage bid window. Egypt followed with 300 MWh, Côte d'Ivoire with 66 MWh, and Cabo Verde with 26 MWh.

Our take

• Africa's increasing demand for renewable energy is expected to drive greater investment in larger-scale projects. North and South Africa are already experiencing this trend, and other countries like Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, and DR Congo, which possess abundant renewable resources but face big supply deficits, are well-positioned to attract similar large-scale developments.

• Despite recent progress in project announcements, the distribution of these projects remains highly concentrated in a limited number of countries. To promote more equitable development, foreign direct investment should strategically target those countries with fewer existing projects but substantial energy demand.

• To facilitate this crucial increase in investment, policy reforms must be fast-tracked, particularly for the countries participating in the "Mission 300" initiative. Specifically, DR Congo, Ethiopia, and Nigeria need to streamline their policies to effectively attract the necessary power projects to meet the energy demands of their combined populations without electricity access, exceeding 220 million people.