
Why Solar Alone Cannot Power Africa’s Industrial Future
Solar energy is expanding rapidly in Africa, but can it power industry? This explainer examines the limits of solar and why systems matter.

ETA Explains breaks down complex energy, climate, and extractive industries issues into clear, accessible insights. From just transition concepts and carbon markets to critical minerals and energy finance, this section demystifies technical debates shaping Africa’s energy future. Built for clarity and context, ETA Explains helps policymakers, journalists, advocates, and citizens understand the issues — without losing nuance or depth.
50 articles found

Solar energy is expanding rapidly in Africa, but can it power industry? This explainer examines the limits of solar and why systems matter.

Africa’s power sector often celebrates rising installed capacity. But that number can hide outages, grid losses and unreliable electricity. Here is what it really means.

Africa faces a $100–120 billion grid gap, and it is holding back industry and the energy transition. The real problem is not generation, it is transmission.

Are mini-grids and national grids in Africa complementary or competing models? This explainer unpacks the trade-offs for access, investment and growth.

Oil and gas careers in Africa are entering a defining decade. Here’s how energy professionals must evolve, adapt and stay competitive in 2026 and beyond.

For more than a decade, the global energy transition has been sold as a story of technology. We are told solar panels are getting cheaper, wind turbines are getting taller, and batteries are...

Africa’s electricity demand is rising faster than economic growth, breaking a long-held pattern. The result is a growing gap the system isn’t ready for.

There is a phrase that has followed Africa through almost every global climate forum in recent years: “clean energy for people and planet.” And it sounds inclusive, moral and hard to argue against....

I grew up learning how to adapt to electricity failure. You learn early what time power usually goes out, you know when to charge phones, when to pump water, and when to run appliances. You learn the...

For most of the past decade, climate finance has been discussed as a moral equation. If African countries showed ambition, net-zero targets, transition plans, long lists of renewable projects, and...

Africa is central to the global energy transition, yet marginal within it. The minerals that make modern clean energy possible are increasingly sourced from Africa. Cobalt stabilises batteries,...

I have lost count of how many times I have heard the same sentence, delivered with confidence and concern in equal measure: Africa needs gas as a transition fuel. It is said in conference halls,...