The Solar Africa Solar Outlook 2025 details that energy storage has become a critical complement to variable renewable energy (VRE) generation such as solar PV, with the trade body indicating that developers are increasingly looking to co-locate battery energy storage systems (BESS) with renewable energy power plants.
Scatec's Kenhardt solar-plus-storage site in South Africa (above), which went online at the end of 2023. Image: Scatec. Africa's energy storage market has seen a boom since 2017, having risen from just 31MWh to 1,600MWh in 2024, according to trade body AFSIA Solar's latest report.
What are the most popular solar-plus-storage developments in Africa?
As noted by AFSIA Solar, one of the most notable solar-plus-storage developments in Africa is Norway-based independent power producer (IPP) Scatec's 225MW/1,140MWh Kenhardt project in South Africa. The site started operation in late 2023 (pictured above).
How has energy storage changed in 2022?
This has resulted in an increase in energy storage levels in recent years. In 2022, the continent had around 50MWh of energy storage capacity installed. Since then, energy storage capacity tripled in 2023 and then experienced another 10-fold increase in 2024. Image: AFSIA Solar.
Will Africa's development pipeline slow down?
Image: AFSIA Solar. According to AFSIA Solar, this upward trajectory is not expected to slow down in the near future either. The trade body has identified a development pipeline exceeding 18GWh across Africa.