IRENA Facilitates Investment and Renewable Projects on Ground in Africa

Boosting renewable energy projects on the ground requires scaling up investment. IRENA’s state-of-the-art analysis of enabling policy frameworks and finance mechanisms channel public and private investment in markets like Africa, Latin America, Asia, South-East Europe and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS). Now, IRENA is taking its work one step further by increasing the Agency’s on-ground impact with 15 regional and sub-regional platforms which aims at scaling up renewables deployment and investments.

One step in this new direction is the event that took place in Johannesburg as part of the Africa Investment Forum hosted by the African Development Bank. It facilitated renewable energy deal-making in Sub-Saharan Africa in partnership with Power Africa and the African Trade Insurance Agency. The event corresponds to IRENA’s new direction and way forward ensuring an acceleration of the renewable energy transformation globally.

Speaking at the Investment Forum in South Africa, IRENA’s Director-General Francesco La Camera underlined the importance of renewable energy to meet sustainable economic growth and Africa’s climate and development ambitions. “Now more than ever, renewables have become a compelling investment proposition”, said La Camera. “With renewable energy technology prices set to decline, the cost-competitiveness of renewables will strengthen further. IRENA’s analysis shows that nearly a quarter of Africa’s energy needs could be met from indigenous and clean renewable energy sources by 2030. This would result in a wide array of socio-economic benefits in terms of economic growth, welfare, employment and energy access. It’s Possible”.

IRENA has been committed to supporting African governments in their quest for a sustainable energy future. The Agency has supported countries in building attractive investment frameworks for renewables to strengthen institutional and technical capacity. It has also supported the development and financing of renewable energy projects through project facilitation tools. 
“A lot remains to be done to address the key risks and barriers that hinder the scale-up of renewable investment in the region”, La Camera continued. “There is no shortage of renewable energy project proposals which are competing for investor capital. But they are not always financially viable. Many proposals fail to materialize due to high cost of capital, limited access to risk mitigation solutions and long delays in projects”.

By building on its extensive project pipeline in Sub-Saharan Africa with over 90 renewable energy projects, the Agency has showcased 10 renewable energy projects at the Investment Forum. Projects from Cameroon, Cote D'Ivoire, Kenya, Mali, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo which have a total capacity ranging from 6 MW to 70 MW – covering technologies like wind, solar, bioenergy and hydropower - were presented.

IRENA’s project facilitation platform provides project owners and developers with increased visibility for their projects among financiers and other market players. Project owners have access to wide range of financial instruments provided by multiple investors from development finance institutions, private companies, utilities, private equity funds, donor and multi-donor facilities, commercial banks and more, as well as access to different services for example legal and financial advisory, environmental, project development and Engineering Procurement and Construction contracting.

More information about IRENA’s project facilitation.