Why firms shift to long-term solar deals

October 19, 2025

Dear subscriber, 

With subsidies fading and electricity costs rising, more businesses are thinking long-term — while energy developers increasingly look across borders for new growth. 

Regards, Sammy Jamar

African companies are increasingly willing to sign longer-term (15 to 20-year) power contracts, a shift from the short-term thinking of the past. With the era of subsidised electricity ending, business leaders now see solar as a way to lock in predictable and lower energy costs, says CEO of Empower New Energy, Terje Osmundsen, in an interview with Renewables Rising.

  • “When one sector pioneer adopts solar, there is a tendency for others to follow. We saw that, for example, in Nigerian retail, where a successful solarisation project seems to have inspired competitors to replicate the model,” he said.

  • Empower New Energy is a Norway-based renewable energy impact investor targeting Africa’s small and mid-sized solar market, offering corporate and industrial clients clean power without upfront costs.

  • Read the whole conversation here… Read more (3 min)

Madagascar-based AXIAN Energy has strengthened its African presence with the acquisition of the 54 MW Bangweulu Solar Plant in Zambia. The deal marks the company's entry into onshore Southern Africa, following four years of operations across the continent, primarily in West Africa, where it has developed 400 MW of solar projects.

  • Just a week ago, the company opened a new offices in Nairobi, its second in continental Africa after Dakar, as it continues its expansion strategy to meet growing demand for renewable energy.

  • Several other energy firms are also broadening their footprint across the continent. Solar Panda recently entered Senegal and Zambia, while CrossBoundary Access expanded operations to Madagascar.

  • Our take: Given Zambia’s drought challenges, developers should focus on hybrid projects for energy security… Read more (2 min)

The Renewables Rising events overview spans 60+ conferences and expos from October to December. A cluster of ”AI in renewables” conferences demonstrates the sector’s pivot toward digitalisation, with themes such as energy forecasting, smart grids, and predictive maintenance taking centre stage in the next phase of Africa’s energy transition.

  • Solar remains Africa’s flagship renewable, but wind events like Windaba 2025 in South Africa signal growing diversification. Meanwhile, Biofuel Kenya Expo and similar forums are reviving interest in biogas and broader bioenergy solutions.

  • Events such as the Carbon Markets Africa Summit and Kenya’s ESG & Impact Investing Expo show the shift toward monetising sustainability through measurable and tradable assets.

  • Access the full listing here… (2 min)

Bank of Africa and Impact Global members conduct due diligence visits to project sites in Nigeria

Jobs

👷🏻‍♂️ Become SOLA Group’s Performance Engineer (South Africa)

👷🏻‍♀️ Join CrossBoundary as a Senior Permitting and Regulatory Officer (DRC)

📲 Apply for Sun King’s Social Media Manager role (Zambia)

Various 

♻️ F&B Bio Recyclage makes progress on its biofuel project in Ghana

⚡ Tanzania plans to open state-of-the-art energy efficiency testing labs

💸 IFC plans $25 million in equity for the African Transition Acceleration Fund

💡 Eagle Solar wraps up a solar project in South Africa quicker than anticipated

Seen on LinkedIn 

Doanh Chau, President at MED21, says, "No serious investor will commit to a country that cannot even keep its lights on. Real development begins when Africa powers itself ... literally.”