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Mini-grids May Not Be the Answer: Why Shifts in Technology and Funding Have Changed the Energy Access Outlook in Africa
There is intense pressure to reach universal energy access by 2030, which requires a further 666 million people to be electrified, most of whom live in sub-Saharan Africa. And according to Stewart Hicks at Bamboo Capital Partners, mini-grids are often viewed as a key part of the solution, leading to growing calls for more private sector investment in this technology. But he argues that this focus on mini-grids may be distracting from faster, more cost-effective approaches. He explains why mini-grids — despite being a good solution in some areas — have several under-reported constraints, and explores some emerging alternative electrification models that may present a more realistic path toward greater energy access in Africa.
- Categories
- Energy, Environment, Investing, Technology
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Analysis: Waste-To-Energy Plants Are a Disaster for the Environment but India Is Building More
The incinerators have high capital costs and usually receive financial support from international institutions and subsidies in India.
- Region
- Asia Pacific
- Tags
- energy access, human rights, recycling, waste
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Nigeria’s Federal Government Targets One Million MSMEs, 50,000 Jobs With Renewable Energy Programme
". . . the minister said the programme would deploy renewable energy solutions to one million businesses, reduce production costs for MSMEs, expand financial inclusion and promote inclusive economic growth."
- Categories
- Energy
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: Unlocking Waste-to-Energy for Energy Security and Regional Growth
Energy security has become a pressing global concern. Recent disruptions in energy markets have underscored the vulnerabilities of relying on centralized systems fueled by imported commodities. Mass-burn WtE facilities offer potential solutions here: stable, dispatchable electricity and heat from a fuel—municipal waste—that every city produces locally and continuously. For regions heavily reliant on volatile energy imports, that is no small thing.
- Region
- Global
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AUDA-NEPAD Launches Africa Green Transition PPP Fund, a New Investment Platform to Finance Africa’s Green Industrial Future
The Fund will channel blended finance and institutional capital into renewable energy, power transmission, water-energy projects and industrial decarbonisation across Africa. It was launched at the STC Ministerial Segment in Abidjan, with a first closing targeted at the Africa Business Forum 2026.
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Analysis: Why EV Infrastructure, Not Vehicles, Will Determine Africa’s Mobility Transition
In many emerging electric mobility markets, the question is no longer whether riders are willing to adopt EVs. It is whether the broader infrastructure ecosystem, including charging, swapping, grid capacity, and financing, can scale quickly enough to keep pace.
- Categories
- Energy, Transportation
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Korean Firm Kia Will Invest $649 Million in Mexico to Begin Production of Electric Vehicles in the Country
Economy Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said, “In a time of such uncertainty regarding the automotive industry, tariffs, new rules, etc., etc., the fact that this decision is being made means that this company, which is one of the most important in the world, is experiencing productivity in Mexico and is seeing opportunities and investment in the country, . . . ”
- Categories
- Energy, Transportation
- Region
- Latin America
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When ‘Patient Capital’ isn’t Patient Enough: How Mismatched Funder Timelines in PAYGo Solar are Holding Back Energy Access in Africa
The energy access conversation in Africa is usually framed around deployment, with success defined by connection targets, cost reduction and rural reach. But Kolawole Osinowo at the FATE Institute argues that these goals don't address a binding constraint for companies working at the last mile: the time it takes for households to repay the solar assets they bought via PAYGo financing. As he explains, the PAYGo model spreads out payments for the benefit of the consumer, but it adds the cost of waiting to the provider’s balance sheet — and that cost later spreads to the company’s investors. And though much of the capital that supports energy access presents itself as patient, willing to wait for these PAYGo assets to be repaid, in practice, these investors often behave otherwise. He discusses the impacts of this mismatch, and explores how capital can be structured for better alignment with PAYGo timelines.
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