Overview
On March 30, 2022, Carl Fleming and Emeka Chinwuba, partners in McDermott’s Energy and Project Finance Practice Group, hosted Dr. Abdelilah Chami, head of sustainability Northern & Central Africa at Enel Green Power, and Jay Katatumba, investment director at Africa50 Infrastructure Fund, for a lively discussion on the renewable energy space in Africa and cross-border investments.
The transition to renewable energy in Africa has progressed impressively over the last decade, with many countries working to increase renewable energy capacity in recent years. Forecasts by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) indicate that with the right policies, regulation, governance and access to financial markets, sub-Saharan Africa could meet up to 67% of its energy needs by 2030. This is reflected by the fact that average annual investments in renewable energy grew ten-fold from less than half a billion dollars during the 2000 – 2009 period to $5 billion during 2010 – 2020.
Below are key takeaways from the webinar:
1. Development Financial Institution (DFI) participation in Africa’s power market is primarily driven by its mandate to make the cost of electricity more affordable, increasing access to electricity and improving the reliability of its power supply.
2. Energy access and consumption in Africa has global ramifications as we look to trade, commerce and development, future demographic trends and geopolitics with respect to energy costs and access.
3. From a power sector policy standpoint, each African country should be taking a holistic view when looking at the specific in-country and regional needs for energy, the entire value chain, related and existing infrastructure, local capabilities and local regulatory and governance frameworks.
4. In accessing various African jurisdictions for investment opportunities, private sponsors are focused on predictability, highest risk weighted returns, existing infrastructure and the whole value chain proposition for a specific asset.
5. Private sponsors are also looking for opportunities where projects are bankable and structured with very limited reliance on subsidies or other credit support from the host governments.
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