Research from UK-based think tank Ember reveals that Africa’s solar energy growth is substantially larger than reported in official international statistics, with approximately half of the actual expansion missing from national data collection efforts. The organization found official solar capacity reporting for only 36 of Africa’s 54 countries, and even those reports appear to underestimate the scale of expansion. By analyzing Chinese solar panel exports and government procurement records, Ember determined that solar installations in Africa grew approximately 12.0 gigawatts in 2025, more than double the 6.2 gigawatts reported by the International Energy Agency and nearly triple the 4.6 gigawatts cited by the International Renewable Energy Agency.
The primary driver of unreported growth is the rapid expansion of distributed energy resources, or small-scale rooftop solar installations rather than large utility-scale projects. Ember projects that approximately 75 percent of Africa’s anticipated 26 gigawatts of solar capacity additions in 2026 will come from these distributed sources. The organization notes that distributed and utility-scale solar installations can coexist effectively, citing Egypt as an example where 43 percent of solar growth consists of distributed resources despite the country simultaneously developing major centralized projects.
Egypt has emerged as a regional solar leader, hosting the 1.8-gigawatt BenBan facility near Aswan and pursuing additional utility-scale projects. Recent developments include a 1.1 gigawatt solar plant planned for the Nagaa Hammadi region with integrated battery storage, alongside a power purchase agreement signed by Norwegian firm Scatec for 1.95 gigawatts of solar capacity and 3.9 gigawatt-hours of battery storage. The country is also developing green hydrogen production capabilities, which convert water into hydrogen gas using renewable electricity for potential export to European markets.
Egypt’s green hydrogen initiatives include the “Egypt Green” project announced in 2022 by multiple partners and a separate $4 billion investment by Saudi Arabian firm ACWA Power. Partial operations at hydrogen facilities reportedly began earlier this year with export pipelines to the US and Europe. Recent policy research indicates strong local acceptance for green hydrogen projects, though survey respondents expressed stronger preference for domestic use over exports, with conditional support tied to local economic benefits.
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