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The power of shared data in the energy transition
Dear subscriber,
They say data is the new oil. Yet much of Africa’s potential remains untapped. Open-source tools are giving experts a chance to collaborate like never before. Could this help fuel the transition we’ve been waiting for?
– Sammy Jamar, Editor
 | Africa’s renewable ambitions are growing, but affordable energy planning remains a challenge. We spoke with Tosin George, Project Manager at Open Energy Transition, to explain how open-source tools could help countries design transparent, cost-effective and climate-aligned energy systems for both governments and investors. |
Proprietary modelling tools used in Africa are expensive, closed off, and often built for foreign markets, making them difficult to adapt to African realities.
“Unlike the saying ‘too many cooks spoil the broth’, in open source, it is the opposite. The more people contribute, add features, and find bugs, the better the tools become,” said Ms Tosin.
 | Renewable energy investment vehicle Hassan Allam Utilities Energy Platform and Infinity Power, Africa’s largest renewables player, have signed a deal with the Egyptian government to develop two large-scale projects. Together they will deliver 1,200 MW of solar power and 720 MWh of battery storage, marking the platform’s second project in Egypt. |
The aim is to double Egypt’s renewables share of power generation to 42% by 2030. Renewables Rising’s database shows 2.9 GW completed this year and 7.1 GW plus 3.4 GWh of battery storage under development.
Egypt seeks not only to meet local demand but expand into export markets, with deals signed with Saudi Arabia, Greece and Lebanon. In 2023, it earned over $110 million from electricity exports to Sudan, Jordan and Libya.
Our take: Hybrid projects allow more integration of renewables to the grid… Read more (2 min)
 | This week we met Paul Kamanu, a retiree of Kenya’s largest tea company, and he revealed how he gradually built his own solar-electric mobility setup. His first step was buying a plug-in hybrid to reduce petrol use. Realising the savings, he later converted a conventional car into a fully electric E-kombi and installed a solar system large enough to power it. |
Today, Mr Kamanu owns three EVs — two Nissan Leafs and the converted E-kombi — all powered by a 10 kW solar system with 40 kWh battery storage at his home in Kiambu, north of Nairobi.
Since 2019, the system has generated savings equivalent to about 1.5 million shillings ($11,600) in electricity costs. “My system has a running meter,” he says. “From 2019 to now, the solar generation is around 50,000 kilowatt-hours.”
Powerstore has partnered with Best.Energy to deliver intelligent, cloud-based energy management solutions in West Africa (Source: Ladi Sanni )
Events
🗓️ Sign up for a webinar on tariff determination and subsidy design (Nov 12)
🗓️ Register for the Africa Energy Expo 2025 (Nov 25)
🗓️ Attend the 4th Edition of Burundi Renewable Energy Access Days (Nov 27)
🗓️ Join peers at the Renewable Energy Forum Africa (REFA) 2025 (Dec 3)
Jobs
🛠️ Lead durability operations at Burn Manufacturing (Mozambique)
👩🏻🔧 Join CrossBoundary as a Senior Associate (Guinea)
👨🏻🔧 Apply to Siemens Gamesa’s Heavy Lift Technician role (South Africa)
Various
🌀 Ethiopia edges closer to completing Aysha II Wind Farm
🟢 Fusion Fuel kicks off biomass steam project in South Africa
⚡ Nigeria expands generation capacity with new utility-scale licences
♻️ ‘Flexible Coal’ touted as South Africa’s transitional energy option
Seen on LinkedIn
Anne Gathoni, Senior Project Developer at CrossBoundary, says, “Energy access is the great equaliser for economic development and achieving a just and equitable energy transition requires intentional gender diversity and inclusion across the value chain.”