Energy

Anzana advances Lobito Corridor energy project

Zambia to ramp up electrification drive (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Anzana Electric Group has unveiled a joint venture with ZESCO Limited (ZESCO), Zambia's electricity utility, to connect 2 million people along the Lobito Corridor

The project entails a US$300mn investment targeting grid access for households and businesses in the Zambian portion of the strategic corridor, which stretches out to Angola’s Atlantic coast.

The Angola-Zambia-DRC corridor is being developed as a major economic artery for southern and central Africa, enhancing trade flows between these mineral-rich regions and global export markets.

Anzana, a developer, investor and operator of hydropower and grid distribution projects across Africa, said in a statement the project will enable the rehabilitation and expansion of Zambia’s electricity network to provide first-time grid-connections for nearly 2 million people by 2030.

The signing of the agreement between ZESCO and Anzana has advanced into finalised terms for a joint venture, paving the way for approximately US$300 million in blended commercial and concessional capital investments, the company noted.

The partnership builds on an earlier Memorandum of Understanding between Anzana and Zambia’s Ministry of Energy signed in February 2025.

“The strategic Lobito economic corridor approach is a model for future regional trade and development,” said Brian Kelly, CEO of Anzana.

“We are honoured to partner with ZESCO and the Government of Zambia to be the Lobito electrification partner and connect millions of Zambians to the opportunities that reliable electricity can enable.”

The collaboration between ZESCO and Anzana will also support new electricity generation, including run-of-river hydropower, and electricity distribution primarily in rural areas.

“This partnership builds on Anzana’s deep experience in the region, including our development of Weza Power in Burundi, and reflects our commitment to win-win partnerships enabling African countries to lead the next wave of electrification and economic growth,” said Kelly.

The agreement envisions that Anzana will lead the development of a pilot project in the North-Western Province of Zambia intended to accelerate the first connections in 2026.

Anzana and other development partners will jointly invest US$50mn to enable approximately 40,000 new household and business connections and add up to 8 MW of new generation over the course of two years, before expanding the scope to encompass the entire Lobito Corridor region.

“This is about more than infrastructure, it is about regional integration, jobs and powering a better future for Zambians along the Lobito economic corridor,” said ZESCO managing director Eng. Justin Loongo.

“We are excited to partner with Anzana who is employing an innovative and inclusive approach to attract capital and rapidly increase electrification rates in rural Zambia.”

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A boost for investment into Lobito Corridor

Nigeria invites bids to develop rural mini-grids

Nigeria energising rural communities with clean micro-grids (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Nigeria is inviting bids to develop interconnected clean energy mini-grids across eight separate clusters, after receiving funding from the African Development Bank (AfDB)

The country’s Rural Electrification Agency (REA) is looking to build a network of mini-grids across eight clusters of either unserved or underserved communities spread across seven Nigerian states: Imo, Enugu, Anambra, Plateau, Bauchi, Kaduna and Kebbi.

The grid-enabled systems will then be connected to three regional distribution companies (Discos): Enugu (south east), Jos (north central) and Kaduna (north west).

In total, the mini-grids project hopes to achieve over 26,000 connections across the eight separate clusters.

The largest of these, with 8,500 connections in total, will be Anambra in Enugu in the south east.

According to bid documents, the mini grids are to be based around a mix of solar PV and battery energy storage systems (BESS).

Bids for the project are to be delivered by 30 September 2025.

It is the latest move by REA to get Nigeria better connected, a country that is still plagued by energy shortages nationwide with millions of people historically without any access to electricity.

In 2020, only 55% of Nigerian households had access to electricity, according to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA).

Urban areas have a significantly higher electrification rate, around 84%, compared to rural areas at just 25%.

REA recently signed a partnership agreement with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to work together to accelerate the country’s clean energy transition.

“Our goal is to position Nigeria as a renewable energy hub, reduce governance costs and catalyse innovation, research and development,” said Abba Aliyu, REA’s chief executive, cited by This Day newspaper during the signing ceremony in Abuja.

“The REA-UNDP partnership pillars are specifically targeted at advancing ongoing efforts in the clean energy space in Nigeria, catalysing opportunities across critical ecosystems and unlocking the full potentials in innovation, R&D, local expertise and sustainable investment.”

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REA and NCC unite for rural development

Africa must stand united in energy transition

Alberto Gambacorta, executive vice president for sub-Saharan Africa, Scatec (Image source: Scatec)

Collaboration between government and private sector stakeholders is crucial for accelerating the deployment of large-scale renewable energy projects — this is a recurring theme at many of the major industry gatherings across the continent, serving as vital platforms for advancing Africa's pursuit of a just energy transition, according to renewable energy company Scatec

"There are several effective forums, such as the annual Africa Energy Forum and Mining Indaba, where this conversation (between the public and private sector, as well as government) is happening. Discussions at these events consistently focus on enabling more capacity in the grid, how we can roll out more transmission, and how the municipal space can be opened to more players," says Alberto Gambacorta, Scatec's executive vice president for sub-Saharan Africa.

A significant hurdle for renewable energy developers is the limitations of grid infrastructure, which continue to be a critical bottleneck. This has restricted the integration of new energy sources and, as a result, impacted the success of several Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme (REIPPPP) rounds.

However, Gambacorta believes that challenges also present opportunities.

“Mention was made in this year's Budget Speech of the Independent Transmission Programme, which will allow the private sector to step in and support Eskom in the Herculean task of building about 14,000 kilometres of high voltage lines, as well as hundreds of transformers around the country,” he notes.

There's also a substantial opportunity in energy storage.

"Storage plays a vital function as a balancing element in the grid. It can shift production that happens during peak sun hours of the day and push it to when there is more capacity on the grid in the afternoon. There's also an opportunity to implement a curtailment framework," Gambacorta explains.

Scatec has notably secured preferred bidder status for the Haru Battery Energy Storage Project in South Africa, a 123 MW/492 MWh project, reaffirming its commitment to battery integration for grid stability. They are also involved in the hybrid solar and battery storage Kenhardt project.

The increasing pressure from carbon taxes is expected to drive corporate demand for renewable energy, as businesses seek to reduce their carbon footprints and operational costs. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) will be pivotal in this transition, offering companies access to clean energy at predictable costs. These agreements foster collaboration between energy providers and corporate consumers, creating a win-win scenario.

"The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is an existential threat to many companies manufacturing in South Africa and exporting to Europe. If they are procuring electricity from a coal-based fleet, they will have an enormous carbon footprint, and CBAM will impose punitive tariffs. Their products will simply not be viable for the European market anymore," says Gambacorta.

"This means that for these producers, it will make sense to procure electricity from renewable energy Independent Power Producers like Scatec. Over the last few years, we have seen several projects being built based on bilateral PPAs between projects and off-takers. We have also seen companies explore the use of energy aggregator platforms, such as Lyra," he adds.

The agenda at energy forums and conferences consistently highlights a clear understanding of South Africa's need to pursue a technology-agnostic and diversified energy future, encompassing solar, wind, and battery storage.

Scatec's extensive involvement in these sectors, including multiple solar PV projects under REIPPPP and recent battery storage wins, positions the company as a key player in this evolving landscape.

Scatec has recently been awarded three additional projects under REIPPP Bid Window 7, forming the Kroonstad PV Cluster - three large-scale solar power plants in the Free State, namely Oslaagte Solar 2 (293 MW), Oslaagte Solar 3 (293 MW), and Leeuwspruit Solar (260 MW).

Combined with the Mercury Solar PV (283 MW) project awarded in December 2024 under REIPPP Bid Window 7, Scatec’s total preferred bidder awarded capacity in round 7 now reaches 1,131 MW. This milestone further strengthens Scatec’s position as a leading independent power producer in the country’s renewable energy sector.

"Scatec stands out as the IPP in South Africa that has reliably delivered its projects since REIPPP Round 1. Our project and construction teams are experienced, and we work closely with our trusted subcontracting partners to deliver on projects of this scale. We're heading into exciting times,” says Jaco Uys, Scatec’s Senior Vice President: Projects

Public-private partnerships are essential to drive infrastructure development, streamline project execution, and attract international investments through collaborative and constructive engagement.

By working together, Gambacorta says, South Africa can achieve its energy transition goals while simultaneously fostering economic growth and job creation.

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JA Solar, JUWI sign SA modules deal

JA-Solar_JUWI_partnership_two_men_shake_hands

Investing in South Africa's clean energy future (Image source: JA Solar)

JA Solar has signed two module supply agreements with JUWI Renewable Energies for a pair of landmark solar power projects in South Africa totalling 220MW

Developed for major industrial users including Glencore, Sasol and Air Liquide, the projects will deploy nearly 420,000 of JA Solar’s high-efficiency DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules.

The 100MW Sonvanger Solar Plant and the 120MW Paarde Valley PV2 project are scheduled to be fully operational by the end of 2026.

Together, they are expected to generate approximately 672,000 megawatt-hours of clean electricity annually.

The two projects will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 625,000 tons annually, which is comparable to removing more than 130,000 cars from the road.

The projects simultaneously ease pressure on South Africa’s power grid and reduce energy costs for large-scale users.

They also form part of South Africa’s broader commitment to install nearly 30GW of new wind and solar capacity by 2030, as the country transitions away from more than 11GW of coal generation.

Beyond clean energy generation, the projects are anticipated to create local employment opportunities, support skills development, and contribute to economic growth in the surrounding communities.

“We’re pleased to support JUWI in delivering on these major solar initiatives, which represent a meaningful step forward in South Africa’s clean energy journey,” said Aiqing Yang, executive president of JA Solar.

“By supplying advanced, reliable module solutions tailored for tough environments, we help our partners achieve their long-term energy and environmental goals.”

A key player in South Africa’s energy transition, JUWI Renewable Energies — part of Germany’s JUWI Group and a wholly owned subsidiary of MVV Energie AG — has delivered solar, wind, and hybrid energy projects across the region since opening its Cape Town office in 2011.

The group provides turnkey EPC and long-term O&M services, advancing the role of renewables globally since its establishment in 1996.

The latest partnership reflects JA Solar’s growing synergy with JUWI, united by shared ambitions to accelerate the global shift to clean energy.

The choice of JA Solar’s DeepBlue 4.0 Pro modules underscores JUWI’s confidence in its products and proven performance under South Africa’s challenging climatic conditions, including high irradiance, heat, and airborne dust.

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Mozambique gets transmission, data centre boost

Mozambique to get data centre, transmission line boost (Image source: Adobe Stock)

Mozambique’s energy sector is to receive a boost from the African Development Bank (AfDB) following the institution’s participation in Maputo at the Africa50 shareholders meeting

Africa50 is an investment platform established by African governments with the AfDB, which has now surpassed US$1.4bn in managed assets directed at infrastructure provision.

At the 2025 summit, a memorandum of understanding was signed with Electricidade de Mozambique (EDM) for the development of three transmission lines under an Independent Power Transmission (IPT) framework.

“This will help support the government’s ambition to achieve universal electricity access by 2030 and become a significant exporter of power across the Southern African Development Community,” a statement released by AfDB noted.

Finalisation of the project development agreements is now underway for three lines under an IPT framework, partnering with Power Grid and EDM, it added.

A separate MoU was also signed with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Transformation to build a new data centre facility in Maputo and to modernise the existing one.

Africa50’s Mozambique portfolio already includes equity investment in the 175 MW Central Termica de Ressano Garcia (CTRG) gas-fired power plant.

According to Dr Akinwumi Adesina, president of the AfDB Group, investments by Africa50 complement broader support from the bank itself that have delivered some US$1.6bn to Mozambique over the past decade.

This investment includes US$400mn in senior debt financing for the country's flagship US$20bn liquified natural gas (LNG) project in Cabo Delgado, as well as the US$34mn Mozambique Energy for All Project, which has connected more than 45,500 households to electricity.

The bank claims its energy sector investments have helped to double Mozambique's national energy access rate from 30% in 2018 to 60% in 2024.

The AfDB has also supported agricultural transformation through special agro-industrial processing zones, including the Pemba-Lichinga corridor, while financing critical transport infrastructure along the Nacala and Beira corridors that enhance regional trade connectivity for the African Continental Free Trade Area.

Earlier this year, the AfDB approved US$43.6mn in funding for the construction of the Namaacha-Boane transmission line and related electricity infrastructure

EDM will implement the project in partnership with Central Eléctrica da Namaacha (CEN), a private sector-led development group involving Globeleq Africa Limited and Source Energia that is building the 120 MW Namaacha wind farm in the southwestern part of the country.

120MW Mozambique transmission project nets funding

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