Spotlight on Africa: A continent of contrasts in energy storage
Source：pv magazine
In our ongoing Spotlight series on battery energy storage, we now turn our attention to Africa. While attempting to cover this vast continent in a single article is basically impossible, the emerging story is too important to overlook. Previously, we covered small nations like Ireland and Finland, countries with comparatively small areas and populations when compared with the entirety of Africa, but with mature grids and renewable penetration. (And, for now, we’re leaving markets with near-daily project news, such as Australia, Germany, and the UK, in the ‘too obvious’ pile.)
Looking at all of Africa at once is by no means doing the continent justice. Yet, comparatively, it’s still such early days. A snapshot of the battery energy storage landscape reveals contrasts, with a handful of nations leading a significant buildout of utility-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS) while others are just beginning to embrace the potential as storage prices continue to fall.
ESS News is indebted to the Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) for detailing the ongoing renewable build-out, where developments are growing and the need for storage is clear.
At the start of 2025, AFSIA provided the following chart showing the boom in installations:
Across Africa, there are currently approximately 2,902 MWh of battery capacity supporting renewable energy projects, namely solar PV parks. This development is very much clustered in certain locations, and there are small but heavy concentrations of solar capacity in a few regions, with South Africa (10,820 MWp), Egypt (3,565 MWp), and Morocco (1,077 MWp) representing the top three markets by a wide margin. These regions represent both some of the most sun-rich, and developed nations.
The largest systems
South Africa hosts the biggest single installation: Scatec’s Kenhardt 1-2-3 complex, combining 1,140 MWh of batteries with large-scale solar to provide dispatchable power under a long-term contract. Egypt follows with the Abydos 1 BESS at 300 MWh, developed by AMEA Power.
Other significant systems include 160 MWh at Pongola BESS Phase 1 in South Africa, 100 MWh at Hex BESS (also in South Africa), and 39 MWh at Zambia’s Ruida Mining Microgrid. West Africa is represented by Mali’s Fekola Gold Mine Phase 1 at 15.4 MWh and Côte d’Ivoire’s Boundiali solar plant at 13.8 MWh, each serving industrial or regional grid needs.
Senegal claimed a first last week for West Africa, with a first co-located solar plus storage project commissioned by Africa REN, with 20MW of solar PV and a 10MW/20MWh BESS, connected to national grid operator Senelec, costing around $47 million.
While the largest batteries are concentrated in a few markets, smaller systems are common across mining, commercial, and remote electrification projects. Many are in the 10–20 MWh range, particularly in West and Southern Africa, where they support industrial loads or mini-grids.
Biggest market: South Africa
Looking briefly at South Africa, the country is the continent’s most active player for numerous reasons. Facing persistent grid instability and frequent power cuts from load shedding through the 2020s until recently, the country has turned to batteries for solutions. The government launched the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programmme (BESIPPPP) to accelerate deployment in utility-scale BESS.
Three windows have already been awarded, with the last window announced and awarded in June. The three windows have cumulated 1,744 MW in output power across windows of 513 MW, 615 MW, and 616 MW, each with a four-hour duration, for almost 7 GWh of storage.
A landmark project is the 153 MW/612 MWh Red Sands battery project, which will be the largest standalone storage facility in Africa.
Residential and commercial and industrial storage is also significant as those that can have also taken up with solar and storage themselves to keep the lights on during load shedding. One former colleague in Cape Town owned multiple Universal Power Supply batteries (UPS) for some years to protect his PC, and that trend is not unique.
A recent market intelligence report by non-profit GreenCape indicated that approximately 3.2 GW of behind-the-meter (BTM) batteries were already installed in the Commercial, Industrial & Agricultural (CI&A) market by early 2025. It also estimated the BTM storage market for the CI&A sector in South Africa was expected to stabilize by adding around 400 MWh of storage per year.
On the residential side, estimates vary, and improved performance with less load shedding by grid operator Eskom has seen slowing demand for batteries. TrendForce projected South Africa would incorporate 1.5 GWh of capacity by the end of 2024, while GreenCape estimates were lower at around 600 MWh.
Recent announcements
In Egypt, developer AMEA Power is building the country’s first utility-scale standalone battery systems, part of a plan to add 1,500 MWh of storage to enhance grid stability, while Scatec is also adding a 1.1 GW solar, 100 MW/200 MWh battery energy storage project. Similarly, Morocco is advancing large solar-plus-storage projects, including two facilities that will add a combined 1,200 MWh of battery capacity.
In Uganda, a major new project has been approved by the government for a site about 62 kilometres northwest of Kampala. The 100 MWp solar plant will integrate a 250 MWh battery energy storage system, delivered by U.S.-based Energy America and regional partner EA Astrovolt.
Mauritius is also adding capacity. Renewable energy developer Qair has secured financing from SBM Bank for its Stor’Sun I and II projects, which are part of a 60 MW hybrid solar-plus-storage portfolio awarded in 2023. While storage sizes for these plants have not been disclosed, they are designed to provide dispatchable power, reflecting a growing role for batteries in island grids.
Other large-scale projects either announced or starting construction include the second phase of the Soma Project in The Gambia with 100 MW/130 MWh, and the 900 MW PV/720 MWh storage project in Egypt developed by Masdar and Infinity Power. AFSIA said similar projects have also been launched in Senegal, Malawi, Botswana, Tanzania, Namibia and Mauritius, for a total of 500 MW plus.
Smaller announced projects in Senegal include the Niakhar Solar Power Project, featuring a 30 MW solar farm with a 15 MW/45 MWh BESS. Additionally, a 40 MW/160 MWh BESS is planned for co-location with the Parc Eolien Taiba N’Diaye (PETN) wind farm in Taiba N’Diaye.
In early 2025, AFSIA said around 18 GWh of storage projects were under development across Africa, spanning a range of systems, regions, and needs – from 100-plus MWh grid assets to mine-site storage. This reflects the fragmented nature of the continent’s power systems, but also the need for standards, policy support, and capital investment to enable large new infrastructure projects.