According to the 2023 RE100 report, 522 companies in Africa have committed to sourcing 100% of their electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Collectively, these companies currently consume 4084 GWh of electricity annually. Yet, with only 19%—equivalent to 780 GWh—sourced from renewables, the continent is significantly off track to meet this target within the remaining five-year window.
However, this headline figure only scratches the surface.
Africa's power sector faces entrenched systemic challenges—ageing infrastructure, rising demand, inconsistent supply, and mounting payment arrears—that have led many companies to turn to backup diesel or petrol generators to fill persistent energy gaps. These generators now supply a staggering 100 TWh (100,000 GWh) of electricity annually across the continent—25 times more than the current grid-sourced electricity consumed by the RE100 companies.
This data represents only a fraction of the true picture. It excludes companies not yet aligned with 100% renewable targets and omits millions of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that support African and global supply chains. As such, the true scale of electricity demand in Africa is vastly underestimated.
The proliferation of diesel and petrol generators across the continent is itself a telling signal. In Nigeria alone, there are over 70 million small-scale generators powering everything from households to industrial operations—evidence of widespread, unmet electricity demand.
Moreover, existing energy access metrics—such as 50–100 kWh per capita per year, which equates to little more than powering 1.5 light bulbs—are grossly inadequate. They fail to reflect the needs of a young, digitally connected, and increasingly aspirational population seeking not just energy for survival, but for productivity, innovation, and economic growth.
In a continent full of contrasts and paradoxes, vast clean energy potential remains underutilised. Ambitious renewable projects sit idle or underperform, and regional power pools—despite their promise—remain underdeveloped and poorly integrated.
Yet, there is hope.
Africa's regional interconnected grids, if strengthened, could unlock a balanced power future, aligning abundant renewable resources with the continent's expanding demand. The opportunity lies in building markets that are nimbler, more transparent, and responsive to the needs of both industry and society.
In my previous role as Regional Director of the I Track Foundation advancing the adoption of one of the many Energy Attribute Certificates (EACs), International Renewable Energy Certificates (I-RECs), I've seen firsthand the disconnects, asymmetries and silos that limit progress—from policy to finance to project development. These barriers must become bridges.
This is the purpose of Africa Clean Energy Buyers (ACE Buyers): a platform for partnership, designed to convene corporates, governments, financiers, and developers, to overcome fragmentation and accelerate clean energy adoption in line with corporate 2040 and Paris Agreement 2070 targets.
We invite you to be a part of this transformation—as a:
Together, we can catalyse the regulatory and investment momentum needed to meet Africa's true energy demand and power its sustainable future.
Join Us TodayACEB is a continental membership forum coalescing businesses and stakeholders to support clean energy procurement and investment. As energy is central to socio-economic advancement, we advocate for aspirational and high ambition energy investment, development and consumption.
We do this by facilitating training and education, policy and regulatory advocacy, and expanding innovation in clean energy markets.
We collaborate with governments, financial institutions, nonprofits and institutions. We welcome partnerships and supporters.