SA tops September renewables projects pipeline

From the newsletter

Africa recorded a 3.2 GW project pipeline across 10 countries in September. Solar led, followed by wind, with Mauritania signing a deal for its largest project combining 160 MW of solar, 60 MW of wind, and a 370 MWh battery storage. Hydropower ranked third, as Kenya revived plans for its 700 MW plant, set to be the country’s largest hydropower plant.

• While solar still dominates, the growth of battery energy storage systems, with at least 15 GWh in the pipeline, shows how the sector has evolved from using solar mainly as backup to now providing baseload power in some areas.

• Wind projects remain concentrated in Egypt, Morocco and South Africa. This is likely due more to logistical challenges than to resource availability, as many African regions have sufficient wind speeds to support large-scale turbines.

More details

• Since the start of the year, the Renewables Rising database has recorded more than 256 projects totalling at least 54 GW. This figure is just 20 GW shy of Africa’s current installed renewable energy capacity, highlighting how rapidly the transition is gaining momentum. Importantly, these new capacities are spread across 53 African countries, showing that the shift to clean energy is happening across the continent, not just in a handful of markets.

• In September, South Africa led with 1,232 MW of recorded projects. The bulk of this came from the 1,000 MW Carissa Wind Energy Facility, which became the country’s largest wind project after securing environmental authorisation. Other notable developments included the 157 MW Khauta West solar facility, which reached financial close and is now set for construction.

• Zambia followed with 925 MW of new projects. The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) approved 600 MW of solar capacity with an estimated investment of $414 million. In addition, the 300 MW Nalolo solar project led by Tera Metal secured all necessary approvals and is preparing to move into financing and construction.

• Kenya ranked third, driven mainly by the government’s announcement to revive the 700 MW High Grand Falls Dam, a $2.62 billion project. While financing has not yet been secured, the Ministry of Energy noted strong interest from development partners. Other notable developments in Kenya included a 2.9 MW solar self-generation plant by Mabati Rolling Mills and a 4 MW solar project by steel giant Abyssinia, which will bring its total solar capacity to 9 MW.

• Other countries also made notable progress. In Nigeria, 10 MW of solar was added to the grid, marking the country’s largest grid-connected solar project to date. In Somalia, a 14 MW solar plant was completed alongside a 30 MWh battery energy storage system and 20 km of medium-voltage transmission infrastructure, developed by Asunim Renewable Energy Joint Stock Company and Renewvia Energy Africa.

Our take

• The 15 GWh battery storage pipeline shows that Africa is moving beyond using solar as a backup. In the coming years, storage will be central to stabilising grids and enabling renewables to provide reliable baseload power.

• Hydropower will also remain important for grid stability as intermittent renewables expand. However, financing such mega-projects is more challenging than for solar or wind, meaning Kenya may need blended finance and public–private partnerships to advance its plans.

• Somalia’s hybrid plant shows that even markets with weaker infrastructure can deliver meaningful projects. These successes can serve as proof points, helping build investor confidence and unlocking further investment in frontier markets.