Africa’s renewable energy sector recorded one of its strongest years in 2025, as electricity demand rose, technology costs fell, and private investment surged, according to data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Bank.
These shifts have turned long-delayed plans into real construction timelines.
Solar, hydro, geothermal, and green hydrogen projects are no longer just ideas but are being built.
The five large projects across geothermal, hydropower, green hydrogen and solar power are expected to reach major construction and production achievement in 2026.
They also reflect a shift toward large-scale, grid-connected clean power across the continent.
Private sector funding into Africa’s clean energy sector nearly tripled to about $40 billion in 2025, according to IEA.
At the same time, the World Bank-backed Mission 300 programme helped connect over 21 million people to electricity in 2025. Twenty-nine African countries are now formally committed to universal electricity access by 2030.
Africa holds some of the world’s strongest solar, hydro and geothermal resources. In 2026, five projects are expected to define the next phase of the continent’s energy transition.
Here are the top five renewable energy projects to watch in 2026, ranked by transformative impact
5. Olkaria Geothermal Expansion, Kenya
Kenya is expected to reach a major geothermal milestone in 2026 when two new geothermal power units start operating at its Olkaria plant.
The Kenya Electricity Generating Company, known as KenGen, plans to commission Units 5 and 6, adding 140 megawatts of firm baseload power to the national grid. The expansion will push total installed capacity at Olkaria past 1 gigawatt for the first time.
Kenya already leads globally in geothermal power as a share of national electricity supply. The Olkaria field, located in the Rift Valley, supplies a large portion of that output.
Planning for the latest expansion began in 2020. The project is backed by about $500 million in financing from the African Development Bank and General Electric. Drilling reached commercial steam reservoirs in 2024. Turbine deliveries were completed in mid-2025.
Construction at the rehabilitated Olkaria I units is nearly 70% complete and is being synchronised with the new turbines for Units 5 and 6.
KenGen Chief Executive Officer Peter Njenga said work on the facility is progressing steadily.
He confirmed that two steam turbines and two generators shipped from Japan have already arrived for installation.
“We are confident to commission the first turbine by June 2026,” Njenga said.
“The timely arrival and installation of these critical components mark an important step in our mission to deliver affordable, reliable and green energy to the people of Kenya,” he said.
Commercial operation for both units is scheduled for the second quarter of 2026. The power is expected to be delivered at an estimated cost of about $0.07 per kilowatt hour.
Once completed, the expansion is expected to supply electricity to about 1.5 million additional homes and support industrial growth.
4. Mpatamanga Hydropower Plant, Malawi
Malawi is preparing for its largest power project to date as construction of the Mpatamanga Hydropower Plant moves closer to full-scale development in 2026.
The 361-megawatt run-of-river project on the Shire River is expected to more than triple Malawi’s current installed electricity capacity when completed.
A World bank report emphasized on Malawi’s electricity supply which has faced repeated disruptions in recent years due to drought, which has reduced output from existing hydro plants.
The project received approval in 2019 and is being developed as a public-private partnership.
The European Union is providing €545 million ($642.5 million) in financing through its Global Gateway programme. The World Bank is overseeing the overall project structure.
Access road construction and major civil works are scheduled to begin in the second half of 2026.
The initiative is expected to generate nearly 1 terawatt-hour of electricity annually and increase household electricity access by about 20%.
It is also expected to allow Malawi to export power for the first time through the Southern African Power Pool, including to neighboring Mozambique.
3. Morocco Green Hydrogen “Offer” Projects, Morocco
Morocco is positioning itself as a major producer of green hydrogen for European export markets.
In 2026, the country’s first large-scale green hydrogen facilities are expected to begin production under its national Green Hydrogen Offer.
According to Morocco’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Six integrated solar and wind projects with dedicated electrolyser facilities are expected to come online with a combined renewable capacity of about 6 gigawatts.
The total investment tied to the first phase is estimated at more than $37 billion.
In 2025 alone, the programme attracted more than $32.5 billion in approvals. Consortia involving companies such as Taqa, Cepsa and Acwa Power have secured land in Laayoune and Dakhla for the first projects.
Under the current timeline, the first electrolysers will begin production in the first quarter of 2026. The new Nador West-Med port is expected to handle Morocco’s first ammonia export shipments to Europe before the end of the year.
The combined renewable energy capacity feeding the hydrogen facilities is expected to exceed 6 gigawatts.
2. Obelisk Solar PV and Storage Project, Egypt
Egypt is set to commission one of the largest solar-plus-battery plants in North Africa in 2026 with the completion of the Obelisk Solar PV and Storage Project.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the African Development Bank stated that the 1.1-gigawatt Obelisk solar plant in Egypt’s Nagaa Hammadi region will include a 200-megawatt-hour battery system to shift power into the evening peak.
Construction began in May 2025. Phase 1 includes 561 megawatts of solar capacity and the full battery system.
It is scheduled to reach commercial operation in the first half of 2026. Phase 2, which will complete the remaining capacity, is expected six months later.
The project is owned by Obelisk Solar Power SAE, an Egyptian company controlled by Norway’s Scatec ASA.
Financing of about $479.1 million is being provided by the African Development Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and British International Investment.
The plant is expected to supply electricity to about one million homes and support Egypt’s efforts to reduce its reliance on gas-fired power plants.
1. Grand Inga Phase 3 (Inga 3), Democratic Republic of Congo
Construction of the long-delayed Grand Inga Phase 3 hydropower project in the Democratic Republic of Congo is scheduled to begin in early 2026, representing one of the most significant infrastructure projects on the African continent.
As detailed in the World Bank’s press release, Inga 3’s initial phase stands to generate 4.8 to 11 gigawatts from the Congo River enough to energize nations throughout central and southern Africa.
The project has been under development in various forms since 2013. In June 2025, the World Bank approved $250 million for technical studies and community development programmes tied to the project.
Total project costs are estimated at about $14 billion. Financing support is also expected from the African Development Bank and the French Development Agency.
A final investment decision is expected before the end of 2025. Site mobilisation and the start of major civil works are planned for the first quarter of 2026.
Transmission corridors to southern and western Africa are being developed alongside.
Once operational, Inga 3 is projected to provide electricity to about 40 million people, reduce diesel generation across mining regions and position the DRC as a net power exporter.
Bottom line
Africa’s renewable energy buildout is entering a new phase of scale in 2026. Major projects across geothermal, hydro, solar and green hydrogen are moving from planning into construction and production.
They represent a shift toward export-oriented clean energy industries and stronger regional power trade.
From Kenya’s geothermal fields to Morocco’s hydrogen plants and the Congo River’s vast hydropower potential, Africa is expanding its clean energy base with large, grid-scale projects.
