LumAfrik, Lagos (2026)

19/08/2026

🇪🇬☀️🔋 EGYPT’S SOLAR STORY IS ENTERING A NEW PHASE — AND BATTERY STORAGE IS AT THE CENTRE OF IT

Egypt has just reached another major milestone in its renewable energy journey.

Scatec has announced the commercial operation of the second and final phase of the Obelisk project, bringing the massive solar-and-storage development to full operation.

The numbers are significant.

The Obelisk project now combines 1.1 GW of solar power with 100 MW / 200 MWh of battery energy storage, making it Africa’s largest hybrid solar and battery installation.

But the importance of this project goes beyond its headline capacity.

☀️ FROM SOLAR GENERATION TO SOLAR + STORAGE

The project was developed in two phases.

The first phase included 561 MW of solar capacity together with the entire 100 MW / 200 MWh battery storage system.

The second phase has now added another 564 MW of solar capacity, taking the total solar capacity to approximately 1.1 GW.

The Power Purchase Agreement was signed in November 2024, meaning the project has moved from agreement to full commercial operation in a remarkably short period.

For Egypt, this is increasingly important.

Solar power can produce enormous amounts of electricity during daylight hours, but the real challenge for modern power systems is ensuring electricity remains available when demand rises and solar generation falls.

That is where battery storage becomes strategically important.

🔋 WHY THE BATTERY COMPONENT MATTERS

The 200 MWh battery system gives the project the ability to store electricity and support the power system beyond the period of direct solar generation.

This represents a broader shift happening across Africa.

The conversation is no longer simply about how many gigawatts of solar capacity the continent can install.

It is increasingly about:

How much electricity can we store?

How can we improve grid stability?

How can renewable energy provide more reliable power?

And how can solar generation be better matched with demand?

Obelisk provides a large-scale example of what this model can look like.

🌍 A MAJOR CONTRIBUTION TO EGYPT’S ENERGY SECURITY

According to Scatec, the project is expected to generate more than 3,000 GWh of clean electricity every year.

It is also projected to avoid more than 1.2 million tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually.

The electricity will be supplied to the Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement denominated in US dollars.

This gives the project a long-term role in Egypt's electricity system while supporting the country's broader energy transition.

And the Obelisk project is not an isolated development.

With the project now fully operational alongside Scatec's 380 MW Benban solar plant, the company has approximately 1.5 GW of renewable energy capacity operating in Egypt.

Even more significant is what is coming next.

Scatec says its near-term Egyptian portfolio includes more than 4.3 GW of renewable energy capacity and 4.1 GWh of battery storage.

Together, that portfolio is expected to generate approximately 17 TWh of clean electricity annually while providing additional support for grid stability.

💰 THE FINANCING STORY IS ALSO IMPORTANT

Projects of this scale require significant capital, and Obelisk demonstrates the growing role of international development finance in Africa's energy transition.

Scatec is the controlling shareholder, with National Bank of Egypt, Norfund and EDF Power Solutions participating as minority equity partners.

Senior lenders include the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), African Development Bank (AfDB), British International Investment (BII) and European Investment Bank (EIB).

This combination of private developers, local financial institutions, development finance institutions and international investors highlights how large renewable energy projects in Africa can be structured and financed.

🇪🇬 WHY THIS MATTERS FOR AFRICA

Egypt is positioning itself as one of the continent's major renewable energy markets.

The Obelisk project shows that the next stage of Africa's renewable energy expansion could be defined not only by larger solar farms, but by solar farms integrated with energy storage.

For countries facing electricity shortages, grid constraints and growing energy demand, this combination could become increasingly important.

Africa has enormous solar potential.

But turning that potential into dependable electricity requires more than panels.

It requires transmission, storage, financing, strong power markets and reliable infrastructure.

Obelisk brings many of these elements together at one site.

And that may be the bigger story.

Africa's solar revolution is moving from simply generating more electricity to figuring out how to store it, manage it and deliver it when people and businesses need it most.

The battery era is beginning. 🔋☀️

Source: Scatec

15/08/2026

A 50MW Solar Plant Is Changing the Energy Conversation in Central African Republic

A new solar project in the Central African Republic may look small when compared with the massive solar farms being developed across Africa.

But its significance goes far beyond its 50MW capacity.

The country has inaugurated a 50MW solar power plant paired with 15MWh of battery storage, a project expected to provide electricity to more than 300,000 households and increase the country’s electricity generation capacity by more than 60%.

For a country facing significant energy-access challenges, this is more than another renewable-energy project. It represents what clean energy can look like when generation and storage are developed together.

The battery component is particularly interesting.

Africa has enormous solar potential, but producing electricity during the day is only part of the challenge. The ability to store that electricity and make it available when it is needed could become increasingly important as countries expand their renewable-energy capacity.

The project also reflects another trend that deserves attention: the growing involvement of international developers and development finance in Africa’s smaller and underserved energy markets.

UAE-based Global South Utilities developed the project, with financing support from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development.

This raises an important question for investors and developers:

What happens when Africa’s smaller electricity markets begin receiving projects designed specifically around their energy-access needs?

The answer could be significant.

A 50MW project in one country may not look enormous on a global scale, but in an underserved market, its economic and social impact can be substantial.

And perhaps this is where Africa’s next renewable-energy opportunity lies—not only in building the continent’s biggest solar farms, but in building the infrastructure capable of delivering reliable electricity to the places that need it most.

Africa’s solar story is evolving. And increasingly, the next chapter may be about storage, reliability and access.

Read Here: https://substack.com//note/p-211001553?r=6t2o7z

11/08/2026

🔋 AFRICA’S SOLAR REVOLUTION IS ENTERING ITS BATTERY ERA

For years, Africa’s renewable-energy story has focused on one question:

How much solar power can Africa install?

The more important question may now be:

How much of that electricity can Africa store and deliver after sunset?

That shift is already happening.

🇪🇬 EGYPT: Solar + storage at industrial scale

The African Development Bank approved up to $66 million for the first phase of Egypt’s 500 MW Dandara solar project, which includes a 100 MWh battery energy storage system.

The message is significant: storage is no longer an add-on. It is being designed into major solar projects from the beginning.

For industries, the value of solar is increasingly not just cheap electricity—but reliable electricity.

🇲🇼 MALAWI: Batteries for grid resilience

Malawi commissioned a 20 MW/40 MWh utility-scale battery system, its first standalone BESS.

This demonstrates another opportunity: batteries can help stabilise weak grids, reduce power interruptions and make it easier to integrate more renewable energy.

🇳🇬 NIGERIA: A commercial opportunity

Nigeria shows how storage can extend beyond utility-scale projects.

MTN Nigeria’s solar-plus-storage programme highlights the potential for businesses to use batteries to reduce diesel dependence and improve energy resilience.

Telecoms, factories, hospitals, banks, data centres and other businesses could become major customers for solar + storage.

🇲🇦 MOROCCO: Can Africa capture the battery value chain?

The opportunity is bigger than deploying batteries.

The African Development Bank approved €100 million for Gotion Power Morocco to develop a lithium iron phosphate battery gigafactory.

That raises a critical question:

Will Africa simply become a major consumer of battery technology—or can it become a producer too?

💰 THE INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY

Africa’s battery economy could extend across:

• Utility-scale BESS
• Solar-plus-storage projects
• Commercial & industrial storage
• Mini-grid batteries
• Battery manufacturing
• Recycling and second-life batteries
• Energy-management technology

THE BIGGER PICTURE

Africa’s renewable-energy transition is moving from a generation challenge to a flexibility challenge.

The countries that win the next phase of the solar race may not simply be those installing the most panels.

They will be those that can store, dispatch, finance, integrate and manufacture the infrastructure needed to make solar power reliable.

LumAfrik Insight:
Africa’s next solar revolution may not be measured only in megawatts of panels installed, but in megawatt-hours of electricity the continent can store and deliver after sunset.

Read full details here 👉 https://substack.com/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=6t2o7z

05/08/2026

🇿🇲 Zambia's power crisis won't be solved by limiting electricity exports. It will be solved by building more solar and other renewable energy source

The debate around Africa GreenCo's electricity exports has sparked important conversations across Zambia's energy sector. But the numbers tell a different story.

In 2025, Africa GreenCo exported just 13 GWh of electricity—equivalent to an average of around 1.5 MW over the year. That's less than 0.1% of Zambia's total electricity generation.

The bigger challenge isn't exports. It's generation.

For decades, Zambia has relied heavily on hydropower. As climate change intensifies and droughts become more frequent, low reservoir levels continue to expose the country's electricity system to supply shortages.

This is why solar energy is becoming increasingly important.

New utility-scale solar projects are helping diversify Zambia's power mix, strengthen grid reliability, attract private investment, and reduce dependence on rainfall. Every new megawatt of solar brings the country one step closer to a more resilient and secure energy future.

The lesson is clear:

⚡ Zambia doesn't need less regional power trade.

☀️ Zambia needs more renewable energy generation.

The countries that invest aggressively in solar, battery storage, and modern electricity infrastructure today will be the ones leading Africa's energy transition tomorrow.

For Zambia, solar isn't just another renewable technology—it's becoming a cornerstone of energy security, economic resilience, and long-term sustainable growth.

Africa's energy future won't be defined by how much power it exports, but by how much clean energy it can generate.

02/08/2026

Malawi’s Battery Storage Breakthrough Shows Why Solar Alone Is Not Enough

Malawi has taken an important step in addressing one of the biggest challenges facing its electricity system: reliability.

The country has launched its first utility-scale Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), a 20 MW facility designed to help stabilise the national grid and store electricity for when it is needed most. The project comes at a critical time for Malawi, where only about 25% of the population has access to electricity and the power system remains heavily dependent on hydropower. Climate shocks, including drought and extreme weather events, have exposed the vulnerability of this model.

But the bigger story is not simply that Malawi is installing a battery. It is that the country is recognising a fundamental reality of modern energy systems: generating more renewable power is only part of the solution.

Solar power can significantly expand electricity generation, but its output changes throughout the day. Without adequate storage, excess solar energy generated during periods of strong sunlight can be wasted, while electricity shortages can persist when demand rises after sunset.

This is where battery storage becomes strategically important.

For Malawi, batteries can help absorb surplus solar generation during the day and release electricity when the grid needs it most. They can also provide greater flexibility to a power system that has historically relied heavily on hydropower, helping reduce the impact of fluctuations in water availability.

The 20 MW facility is expected to contribute to reducing power outages, while Malawi plans to develop three additional battery systems with a combined capacity of 60 MW. The ambition is significant because the country's electricity access target is to reach 70% of the population by 2030.

The continent should not think of renewable energy and battery storage as separate investments. They increasingly need to be developed as part of an integrated energy strategy.

For countries like Malawi, where unreliable electricity constrains businesses, healthcare, education and industrial productivity, battery storage is not simply a technology for managing solar power. It is becoming an infrastructure tool for improving energy resilience.

Malawi's experience also offers a wider lesson for African policymakers and investors: the future of Africa's energy transition will not be defined only by how many megawatts of solar and wind capacity are installed, but by how effectively those resources can be integrated, stored and delivered when people and businesses need electricity.

As Africa accelerates renewable energy deployment, investment in battery storage, grid modernisation and flexible power infrastructure must move alongside generation capacity.

Malawi's first utility-scale battery could therefore be more than a national milestone. It could be an early signal of where Africa's next major energy investment opportunity lies.

31/07/2026

‎Morocco is making a bold move in the global electric vehicle race.
‎
‎The country has secured $114 million in financing, led by the African Development Bank, to establish Africa's first lithium iron phosphate (LFP) EV battery gigafactory.
‎
‎But this story is about much more than a new factory.
‎
‎It signals Africa's transition from being a supplier of raw critical minerals to becoming a manufacturer of high-value clean energy technologies.
‎
‎Here's why it matters:
‎
‎* Africa enters the EV battery value chain, creating more value locally instead of exporting raw materials.
‎
‎* Industrial growth accelerates, with hundreds of skilled jobs expected in the first phase and stronger local supply chains.
‎
‎* Morocco strengthens its position as an EV manufacturing hub, leveraging its proximity to Europe and established automotive industry.
‎
‎* Renewable energy deployment gets a boost, as battery manufacturing becomes a key enabler of solar and wind power expansion.
‎
‎For investors, policymakers, and industry leaders, this is another clear signal that Africa is steadily positioning itself as a competitive player in the global clean energy economy.
‎
‎The future of energy isn't just being powered in Africa—it is increasingly being built in Africa.
‎
‎What are your thoughts? Could Morocco's battery industry become the catalyst for a broader African EV manufacturing ecosystem?
‎
‎

22/07/2026

Africa's wind energy investment story is gaining momentum.

Ethiopia is taking a major step forward.

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) has approved up to $110 million in financing for Ethiopia's first 300MW Independent Wind Power Project.

📍 Project: Aysha Wind Power Project
⚡ Capacity: 300MW
💰 Total project cost: Approximately $508 million
🏦 AfDB financing: Up to $110 million

Once completed, the project is expected to become Ethiopia's largest wind power plant.

But here's what makes this development particularly important 👇

This is not just another renewable energy project.

It demonstrates how development finance institutions are helping unlock large-scale private investment in Africa's energy sector.

For investors, developers, and energy companies, the message is clear:

➡️ Africa's renewable energy opportunity extends far beyond solar.

➡️ Wind power remains a major opportunity in markets with strong natural resources.

➡️ Blended finance and development capital can help make large-scale renewable projects bankable.

➡️ Strategic partnerships will be critical to closing Africa's energy investment gap.

As the continent works to expand electricity access, strengthen energy security, and accelerate its transition to cleaner energy, projects like Aysha show what is possible when capital, policy, infrastructure, and natural resources align.

The question is no longer whether Africa needs more renewable energy.

The question is: Who will finance, build, and participate in the next generation of Africa's energy infrastructure?

At LumAfrik, we continue to track the projects, investments, and opportunities shaping Africa's evolving energy landscape.

🌍 Africa's energy transition is an investment opportunity.

What do you think—Is wind energy being given enough attention in Africa's renewable energy investment conversation?

Read Detail: https://substack.com//note/p-208042080?r=6t2o7z

21/07/2026

Morocco Emerges as a Strategic Hub in Tesla's Global Expansion

Morocco is increasingly being recognized as a strategic destination in Tesla's global expansion ambitions, supported by its strong automotive manufacturing ecosystem, competitive investment environment, and growing leadership in renewable energy. With its proximity to European markets, well-established industrial infrastructure, and government-backed clean energy initiatives, the country offers a compelling value proposition for global electric vehicle manufacturers.

In the article, our founder and MD explores why Morocco stands out as a potential hub for Tesla's future growth and what such an investment could mean for the country's industrial development, supply chains, and broader clean energy transition.

Read the full article here 👉 https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20251129-why-morocco-stands-out-in-teslas-global-expansion-plans/

14/07/2026

Inside Africa's Renewable Energy Transition: EAAIF Backs One of the Continent's Largest Solar and Battery Storage Projects

Africa's clean energy transformation has received another major boost.

The Emerging Africa & Asia Infrastructure Fund (EAAIF) has committed US$30 million to support the development of the Minya Project in Egypt—a 1,000 MW utility-scale solar power plant integrated with a 660 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). Co-developed by Hassan Allam Utilities and Infinity Power, the project is expected to become one of Africa's largest integrated solar and energy storage facilities.

Beyond increasing renewable electricity generation, the project will strengthen grid reliability, improve energy security, and accelerate Egypt's transition toward a lower-carbon energy system. It also aligns with the country's long-term strategy to significantly expand the share of renewables in its electricity mix.

This investment builds on EAAIF's previous financing of Hassan Allam Utilities, highlighting continued confidence in Egypt's renewable energy sector and the growing role of blended finance in delivering large-scale clean energy infrastructure across Africa.

As Africa's energy demand continues to rise, combining utility-scale solar with battery storage is becoming increasingly important for ensuring reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity while attracting long-term private investment.

Key Highlights
• US$30 million financing from EAAIF
• 1,000 MW solar generation capacity
• 660 MWh battery energy storage system
• One of Africa's largest integrated solar and storage projects
• Supports Egypt's clean energy and grid resilience goals

Egypt Today Magazine Beesline Egypt

11/07/2026

Inside Morocco's Energy Strategy: How the Ifahsa Project Strengthens Renewable Energy Security

Morocco's latest investment in the Ifahsa Pumped Hydropower Storage Project is about much more than adding another energy asset to the grid.

Backed by a US$265 million World Bank financing package, the project reflects a long-term strategy to solve one of renewable energy's biggest challenges: ensuring reliable electricity when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing.

As Morocco rapidly expands its solar and wind capacity, large-scale energy storage is becoming a critical piece of the country's energy transition. Pumped hydropower storage enables excess renewable electricity generated during periods of high production to be stored and dispatched when demand peaks, improving grid flexibility, reliability, and resilience.

This is a strategic investment that will:

• Strengthen grid stability as renewable energy pe*******on increases.
• Reduce dependence on fossil fuel-powered backup generation.
• Improve energy security through long-duration electricity storage.
• Support Morocco's ambition to become a regional clean energy leader.

The broader lesson for Africa is clear: building renewable generation alone is not enough. The continent must also invest in the infrastructure that allows clean energy to be stored, managed, and delivered reliably.

As more African countries accelerate their energy transition, Morocco's approach demonstrates that energy security and renewable energy expansion must go hand in hand.

What other African markets should prioritize long-duration energy storage as part of their clean energy strategy?

LumAfrik

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