[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-50px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”0px|||||” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n
A general view of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) in Guba \u2014 Photo @Webuild_group. The GERD is more than an infrastructure project\u2014it became a national symbol of pride and independence,\u00a0often described as Ethiopia\u2019s \u201crenaissance.\u201d Its funding model gave ordinary Ethiopians a direct stake in the dam\u2019s success,\u00a0reinforcing its role as a collective achievement. [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A feature by Aimable Twahirwa<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=”6112,6113,6114,6115″ fullwidth=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _dynamic_attributes=”link_option_url” _module_preset=”default” animation_style=”zoom” animation_delay=”2450ms” animation_intensity_zoom=”21%” animation_starting_opacity=”20%” auto=”on” link_option_url=”@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF9saW5rX3VybCIsInNldHRpbmdzIjp7fX0=@” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_orientation=”left” custom_margin=”-15px||||false|false” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]<\/p>\n Financing green energy projects in Africa remains a puzzle for private sector players and policymakers, even as the continent faces mounting pressure to accelerate its energy transition.\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n Gathered on the sidelines of the second edition of the Africa Partnership for Renewable Energy Investment Forum (APRA 2025), held from October 20 to 23 in Freetown, Sierra Leone, a group of energy experts emphasized the urgent need to establish \u201corganized systems of bankable energy projects\u201d that can attract donor financing.<\/p>\n Their discussions also focused on the importance of mobilizing blended finance and leveraging strategic minerals essential to renewable energy systems. These concerns reflect growing momentum across the continent to unlock viable investment pathways and accelerate Africa\u2019s green energy transition.<\/p>\n Delegates lamented that the biggest obstacle so far is the difficulty many African countries face in expanding energy access while meeting global decarbonization targets and aligning with green industrial policies.<\/p>\n The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) has warned that initiatives such as wind farms, solar plants, and biomass facilities demand significant investment to deliver the long\u2011awaited energy transition. Globally, IRENA projects that renewable capacity must grow by 1,000 GW annually by 2030 to keep the 1.5 \u00b0C climate goal within reach.<\/p>\n On the continental level, IRENA Director General Francesco La Camera underscored the urgency of collective action: affordable capital must reach viable projects if Africa is to overcome persistent financial barriers. \u201cThe development of renewable energy and energy efficiency requires much larger volumes of affordable financing,\u201d he declared at the forum\u2019s opening.<\/p>\n APRA itself is an international alliance led by African nations determined to drive renewable energy and green industrialization. Its members include Djibouti, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. Partners such as Germany, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, the United States, and Japan are providing expertise and financial backing.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Gigawatt-Global-Photo-Sma.de_.webp” title_text=”Gigawatt Global – Photo Sma.de” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”-30px||||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n Gigawatt Global Solar Energy Plant at the Agahozo Shalom Youth Village in Rwanda. Photo Gigawatt Global<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” header_text_align=”left” text_orientation=”left” module_alignment=”left” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n In Rwanda, efforts to expand renewable generation have already shown success. The country has set a target of sourcing 60% of its energy from renewables such as hydropower and solar by 2030. Minister of Infrastructure Dr Jimmy Gasore believes these efforts will help Rwanda meet the Sustainable Development Goals by ending poverty and inequality. \u201cWe must indeed modernize and renovate our infrastructure to ensure that it is suited to the new energy system we are creating,\u201d he told Mongabay.<\/p>\n Dr Kandeh Yumkella, head of Sierra Leone\u2019s Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI\u2011CREF), and chair of Africa\u2019s Energy Governance Coordination Group (EGCG), said APRA\u2019s work will enable African nations to sustain the green transition. Launched at the African Climate Summit in Nairobi in September 2023, the initiative seeks to deliver cleaner, more resilient energy systems across the continent.<\/p>\n IRENA estimates that Africa\u2019s energy demand will double by 2040. Without a global transformation of the energy sector, the Paris Agreement\u2019s 1.5 \u00b0C target will remain out of reach. In 2018, only 20% of Africa\u2019s electricity came from renewables. By 2019, two\u2011thirds of new global power capacity was renewable\u2014but Africa accounted for just 2% of those additions. For Rwanda, public\u2011private partnerships are seen as critical. Serge Wilson Muhizi, Executive Director of \u201cEnergy Private Developers\u201d (EPD), emphasized that such partnerships are vital for long\u2011term economic growth, job creation, and improved energy access. \u201cIn the face of the climate emergency, public\u2011private partnerships stand out as a promising solution to accelerate the development of renewable energy in Rwanda as well as elsewhere in Africa,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n IRENA calculates Africa\u2019s renewable potential at 2.4 million TWh per year\u201450 times the world\u2019s projected demand in 2050. Yet less than 10% of that potential is currently exploited, blocked by financial, institutional, and infrastructure barriers.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/image2_-Zoumkella2.jpg” title_text=”image2_-Zoumkella2″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” module_alignment=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_font_size=”13px” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n A panel during the second edition of the Renewable Energy Investment Forum (APRA\u202f2025), held from October 20 to 23, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone. Image provided by Aimable Twahirwa.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” text_font=”|600|||||||” text_orientation=”center” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Africa pushes renewable energy transition as wind, solar and biomass projects demand major investment<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6087,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[204,120],"tags":[283,72],"class_list":["post-5932","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-env","category-uncategorized-rw-rw","tag-green-transition","tag-investments","et-has-post-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5932","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5932"}],"version-history":[{"count":84,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5932\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11043,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5932\/revisions\/11043"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6087"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5932"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5932"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tech-biz.today\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5932"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\u201cThese actions require greater financing and stronger national, regional, and international collaboration.\u201d Dr Yumkella told Mongabay.<\/p>\n