Renewables are feeling the hydrogen wind in their sails

May 28, 2025

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Standard Bank has partnered with French wind firm InnoVent SAS to fund Namibia's largest wind energy project. The 44 MW plant will cost $106 million, with Standard Bank providing $67 million. Once operational, this project will significantly boost the country's energy independence, as it currently relies on electricity imports for 62% of its power needs.

  • Namibia spends billions on electricity import bills, and this cost has been rising due to currency depreciation and increasing electricity tariffs. For instance, its main supplier, South Africa, has seen electricity prices increase by more than 150% in the last decade.

  • The country plans to generate 80% of its power from domestic sources by 2028. Its national power utility, Nampower, aims to deploy 170 MW of new generation from renewable energy sources.

  • Our take: Importing electricity is a solution, but it can get expensive. Power purchase agreements are mostly in US dollars, so local currency drops increase costs… Read more (2 min)

A 500-MW Cameroonian hydropower plant has received approval to occupy 527 hectares of land for the construction of a dam and associated infrastructure. This resolves one of the most pressing issues typically stalling major hydro projects in Africa. Governments struggle to acquire or requisition enough land for dams.

  • Hydropower could potentially meet Africa's current electricity needs, yet it remains largely untapped, with only about 10% of its potential exploited.

  • Land acquisition for large-scale hydropower projects remains the biggest bottleneck in scaling them. Often, local communities are displaced, leading to conflicts. For instance, DR Congo’s Grand Inga Dam and Kenya’s Itare Dam stalled due to these land challenges.

  • Our take: While hydropower remains Africa’s renewable backbone, accelerating its development requires modernising ageing plants… Read more (2 min)

Every month, the Renewables Rising policy tracker collects key changes in policies and regulations in the African energy sector. Over the past month, nine African countries introduced new regulations aimed at reshaping the energy landscape. The changes focused on integrating renewables, energy efficiency, and market liberalisation.

  • In southern Africa, Zambia made a move to accelerate its renewable energy transition by dramatically cutting the approval timeline for solar energy projects from over six months to just 48 hours. 

  • Meanwhile, in West Africa, Ghana has moved to a competitive procurement process for solar power generation. It aims to attract investors, expand renewable energy capacity, and ensure competitive pricing for consumers.

  • Our take: The proposed changes offer more investment opportunities for the private sector and fewer risks… Read more (2 min)

Energy storage company Sungrow signs a supply agreement for Globeleq’s 153 MW battery storage project in South Africa

Events

🗓️ Attend Kenya’s Open Source in Energy Access Symposium (Jun 11)

🗓️ Sign up for the Africa Energy Forum (Jun 17)

🗓️ Participate in Lesotho’s Energy Access Dialogue (Jun 26)

Jobs

⚡️ Become AIES’ Vice President, Energy Advisory Africa (Ivory Coast)

💼 Join UNDP as a Regional Technical Specialist for Energy (Africa)

🛠️ Lead project management activities at EDF Renewables (South Africa)

Various 

🔋 Jord secures 300 hectares in Senegal for a major biofuel project

💸 Samta Metals & Alloys invests $70m in a Morocco recycling facility

🌱 All On provides investment to Salpha Energy, a Nigerian off-grid solar firm

Seen on LinkedIn 

Yougourta LARADI, Managing Director at Albioma, says, “Developed countries have offloaded vast amounts of plastic waste onto Africa, worsening pollution, harming communities, and perpetuating poverty. So, what’s the solution? Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants.”