Urgent action needed for energy transition

The world is falling behind on renewable energy and efficiency goals, despite record capacity growth in 2024, according to a new report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the COP30 Brazilian Presidency, and the Global Renewables Alliance (GRA).

Global renewable capacity additions reached 582 GW last year, yet the COP28 UAE Consensus target of tripling renewables to 11.2 TW by 2030 now requires 1,122 GW annually, with 16.6% growth needed each year. Energy efficiency also lags, with global energy intensity improving by just 1% in 2024—far below the 4% annual gains needed to meet UAE Consensus goals.

The report calls for urgent action: integrating renewable targets into national climate plans, doubling collective NDC ambition, and scaling investment in renewables to at least USD 1.4 trillion annually through 2030.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said, “The clean energy revolution is unstoppable. Renewables are deployed faster and cheaper than fossil fuels – driving growth, jobs, and affordable power. But the window to keep the 1.5°C limit within reach is rapidly closing. We must step up, scale up and speed up the just energy transition – for everyone, everywhere.”

IRENA Director-General Francesco La Camera added, “The world has broken renewable capacity records, but records alone will not keep 1.5°C alive. Renewables are not just the most cost-effective climate solution; they are the biggest economic opportunity of our time. This report shows the path: accelerate deployment, modernise grids, scale clean-tech and strengthen supply chains.”

Ben Backwell, Chair of the GRA, said, “The private sector is driving the energy transition, providing three-quarters of global clean energy investment… What we need now are long-term government plans that match national ambitions; we need pipelines that deliver projects.”

The report highlights that G20 nations must lead, contributing over 80% of global renewable capacity by 2030, while advanced economies should ramp up climate finance and investment in grids, storage, and clean-tech supply chains to secure a stable energy transition.

The partnership will deliver fully integrated, turnkey renewable energy solutions tailored for mining operations

Voltalia, a global leader in renewable energy, has announced a strategic partnership with IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, to advance clean energy solutions for mining operations in Africa

Mining remains a highly energy-intensive sector, with many sites dependent on fossil fuels, especially in areas with limited access to stable power grids. While Africa contributes only a small portion of global greenhouse gas emissions, its vast mineral resources make it central to shaping a sustainable energy future.

Through this collaboration, Voltalia and IFC will work together to identify and develop Power-to-Mine (PtM) projects, aimed at reducing mining companies’ reliance on carbon-intensive energy by integrating renewable solutions. The focus will be on the near- to medium-term deployment of renewable energy infrastructure across selected African countries.

Voltalia brings extensive expertise across the entire project lifecycle, ensuring reliable and high-performance energy systems. The partnership will deliver fully integrated, turnkey renewable energy solutions tailored for mining operations, potentially including hybrid solar-wind systems, battery storage, corporate power purchase agreements (PPAs), and construction and maintenance services.

Robert Klein, CEO of Voltalia, commented, “This collaboration with IFC reflects our shared ambition to accelerate the minerals sector’s transition to cleaner energy. By combining Voltalia’s technical expertise with IFC’s development-driven approach, we’re helping to build a more resilient and sustainable energy future for the mining sector.”

Valerie Levkov, IFC global industry director for energy, metals & mining and Sustainable Infrastructure Advisory, said, “IFC’s partnership with Voltalia will bring renewable energy technologies to Africa’s important minerals sector, which contributes to jobs and economic development across the continent. Working with Voltalia, IFC will support tangible and long-term solutions that bring environmental and economic benefits.”

Voltalia’s enduring commitment to environmental improvement and local development underpins its strategy, making this initiative a natural extension of its purpose-driven mission.

The partnership also supports broader decarbonisation goals for the mineral industry and contributes to Mission 300, an initiative by the World Bank Group and African Development Bank to connect 300 million Africans to sustainable, affordable, and reliable electricity by 2030, alongside IFC’s push for distributed renewable energy solutions.

Powering Africa through innovative funding mechanisms

Scatec venture, Release, has signed new lease agreements totalling 64 MW of solar power and 10 MWh of battery storage across Liberia and Sierra Leone

Designed to overcome financial and technical barriers associated with adopting solar energy, Release is a flexible leasing agreement of pre-assembled solar PV and battery equipment to deliver a low cost, clean, and reliable power solution.

“These agreements mark a significant step in strengthening our renewable energy presence and delivering flexible, modular ‘lease-to-own’ solutions to utilities in sub-Saharan Africa,” said Scatec CEO and chairman of Release, Terje Pilskog.

“The projects are designed to replace expensive fossil fuel generation, improve grid reliability, and support local economic development.”

Release receives support from the World Bank’s IFC through a US$100mn loan and a US$65mn guarantee facility, established in 2023, securing payment obligations from Release’s clients.

The partnership enables Release to offer affordable, clean power to African utilities with reduced financial risk, simplifying renewable energy adoption.

In Liberia, Release has entered into a 15-year lease agreement with the state-owned Liberia Electricity Corporation (LEC) for the development of a 24 MW solar plant combined with a 10 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Duazon, near Monrovia.

It also secured a 40 MW solar project in Sierra Leone through a lease agreement with the national utility EGTC and the Ministry of Energy.

These two projects will be the first projects where Release will use its newly-introduced solar panel mounting structure designed by its engineering team in South Africa, representing a milestone for the company and marking a start to a new way of delivering its projects.

Release is owned by Scatec (68%) and Climate Fund Managers (CFM) (32%) via its EU-supported Climate Investor One Fund, a US$1bn blended finance facility focused on renewable energy infrastructure in emerging markets.

Scatec has been proactively growing its own Africa footprint directly in the past year, as it builds out a total of 6.2 GW in operation and under construction across five continents. 

That includes South Africa, where it was recently awarded 846 MW of solar power in the sevent round of the REIPPPP, its largest ever solar award in the country.

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Kamoa-Kakula smelter. (Image source: Ivanhoe Mines)

Ivanhoe Mines is beefing up its power supply options at its various mines sites in Central Africa as a result of grid instability

At the producing Kipushi zinc mine in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the company reported that despite improved production rates, “operations continue to be impacted by grid instability.”

An additional 6 MW of back-up generator capacity is in the process of being installed and is set to be commissioned in the coming weeks, it noted in a 7 October statement.

“The new generators will increase the total on-site back-up power to 20 MW, sufficient to maintain operational continuity during periods of grid instability,” it noted.

Kipushi produced a record 57,200 tonnes of zinc in Q3 2025, a quarterly increase of 37%.

More ambitious plans are underway in the run-up to the launch of Kamoa-Kakula’s on-site, direct-to-blister copper smelter, which is expected to commence in early November 2025.

Installation is nearing completion on a 60 MW battery-powered, uninterruptible power supply facility, the company reported, which will be complemented by a further 60 MW of diesel-powered gensets.

“The smelter start-up will commence as the installation of the uninterruptible power supply facility nears completion,” Ivanhoe noted.

The 60 MW UPS is designed to provide up to two hours of instantaneous back-up power to the smelter, protecting the operation from voltage fluctuations in the DRC grid, it added.

“In addition to the UPS, there is a further 60 MW of dedicated diesel-powered, back-up generator capacity.”

Last year, contractors on site marked the successful commissioning and synchronising of the first five Sumec/MTU 2 MW generators, announced in a social media post.

“On-site backup-power generator capacity is scheduled to increase to a total of over 200 MW in time for the completion of Kamoa-Kakula's direct-to-blister copper smelter in Q4 2024,” Ivanhoe said at the time.

Since then it has brought together a collection of new power arrangements to put in place the energy needed to get the new smelter up and running.

Earlier in 2025, Kamoa Copper signed power purchase agreements (PPA) with CrossBoundary Energy DRC of Nairobi, Kenya, and La Societe Green World Energie SARL of Beijing, China, to provide up to 60 MW in baseload clean energy to Kamoa-Kakula’s operations from an on-site solar facility.

The facilities, which will be owned, operated, and funded by CrossBoundary Energy and Green World Energie, will comprise a total of 406 MWp of solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity, with up to 1,107 MWh of battery energy storage (BESS).

Kamoa Copper will be the sole off-taker of the electricity produced by both facilities.

The mine site also sources a large amount of its energy needs through hydroelectric, including imports via the Zambia-DRC interconnector, and from Mozambique via a wheeling agreement through the Southern Africa Power Pool network.

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