Nigeria’s DARES Programme: A $750M Solar Mini-Grid Deployment, the World’s Largest
UphivaBETAR
Nigeria’s DARES programme is deploying the world’s largest solar mini-grid network. The $750M plan — and the execution risk behind it.
Browsing Tag
solar
24 posts
Africa’s Battery Gap: How Grid-Scale Storage Becomes the Missing Layer in the Solar Buildout
Africa added 4.5GW of solar in 2025. Without battery storage, that solar cannot replace dispatchable power. The BESS market is finally moving.
Egypt’s 1GW Solar Race: The DFI Financing Architecture Behind Africa’s Largest Renewable Projects
Egypt is building 1GW of solar at a pace that makes it Africa’s most active renewable market. The DFI financing architecture that makes it possible.
South Africa’s Largest Private Solar+Battery Project Breaks Ground — And It’s Designed to Decarbonise Sasol and Air Liquide
Sola’s NAOS-1 project is South Africa’s largest private solar+battery system — built to decarbonise two industrial giants through wheeling.
Africa BESS 2026: The Battery Layer That Turns Solar Into Reliable Power
Battery energy storage is the missing infrastructure layer that determines whether Africa’s solar buildout delivers reliable power — or just daytime electricity.
South Africa’s Grid Workaround: How SolarAfrica’s $94M SunCentral 2 Is Giving Businesses a Way Out of Eskom
SolarAfrica has closed a $94M facility for SunCentral 2 — a wheeling deal that lets South African businesses source power outside Eskom’s grid.
Lyra Energy’s $240M Thakadu Solar Plant Breaks Ground — Standard Bank Finances It Alone
Lyra Energy’s 255MW Thakadu project is South Africa’s largest private solar plant. Standard Bank financed it entirely — no DFI participation.
SOLA Naos-1: South Africa’s Largest Private Solar+BESS Project Closes — The Wheeling Deal That Changes Industrial Energy
SOLA Group’s Naos-1 — 300MW solar, 660MWh storage — has reached financial close. It is the first utility-scale solar+storage project in South Africa purpose-built for industrial wheeling to large corporates.
Powering Africa Summit 2026: America Is Still Coming to Power Africa — Just on Different Terms
The 11th Powering Africa Summit in Washington D.C. marked a pivot: USAID Power Africa is out, EXIM Bank export credit is in. America is still backing Africa’s energy transition — just through commercial infrastructure, not aid.
Kenya Has One of Africa’s Cleanest Grids — and One of Its Most Expensive Electricity Bills
Kenya generates 92% of its electricity from renewables — and charges businesses more per kWh than most European countries. How clean became expensive.
