Africa is undergoing a dramatic transformation in its energy landscape. With abundant sunlight and escalating power needs, the continent is turning to large-scale solar to power economic growth, improve energy security, and decrease reliance on fossil fuels. Here’s a ranking of the top 10 solar projects that have been completed across Africa — each contributing to a cleaner, greener energy future.
1. Benban Solar Park (Aswan, Egypt)
- Capacity: ~1.65 GW
- Annual Output: ~3.8 TWh, enough to power ~420,000 households
- Scale: Comprises 41 PV plants across 37 km²; $4 billion investment
- Impact: Created ~20,000 construction jobs and ~6,000 permanent positions
2. Noor Ouarzazate Complex (Morocco)
- Capacity: 510 MW CSP + 135 MW PV = 645 MW total
- Storage: Up to 7 hours molten salt thermal storage per CSP phase – Noor I (160 MW), Noor II (200 MW), Noor III (150 MW), Noor IV (72 MW PV)
- Emissions Reduction: Prevents ~760,000 tCO₂/year
3. Kathu Solar Park (South Africa)
- Capacity: 100 MW CSP
- Storage: 4.5-hour molten salt
- Coverage: Powers ~179,000 homes
4. Ilanga‑1 CSP (South Africa)
- Capacity: 100 MW solar thermal
- Storage: 5-hour thermal
- Emissions Saved: ~90,000 tCO₂/year
5. Xina Solar One (South Africa)
- Capacity: 100 MW CSP
- Annual Output: ~400 GWh
- Emissions Saved: ~348,000 tCO₂/year
6. Jasper Solar Power Project (South Africa)
- Capacity: 96 MW PV
- Serves: ~80,000 households
- Emissions Saved: ~146,000 tCO₂/year
7. De Aar Solar Power (South Africa)
- Capacity: 85 MW PV (Phase 1)
- Annual Output: ~150 GWh
- Serves: ~19,000 households
8. Touwsrivier CPV (South Africa)
- Capacity: 44 MWp
- Technology: Concentrator PV — one of the world’s largest CPV farms
9. Baía Farta Solar (Angola)
- Capacity: 96.7 MW PV
- Commissioned: July 2022
- Investment: ~$152 million
10. Boundiali Solar Plant (Ivory Coast)
- Capacity: 37.5 MW, expanding to 83 MW
- Operational Since: June 2023
Why These Projects Matter
1. Diverse Technological Approaches
These projects showcase a range of solar technologies — from traditional PV (Benban, Baía Farta) to advanced CSP systems with thermal storage (Kathu, Ilanga-1), and next-gen CPV projects like Touwsrivier. Hybrid setups like Noor Ouarzazate and Kathu demonstrate efficient energy storage integration
2. Gigawatt-Scale Growth
From 2023 to 2024, Africa saw a 340% surge in large-scale solar capacity, expanding from 521 MW to 1,783 MW installed annually. Northern Africa — including Egypt and Morocco — is a major driver of this expansion
3. Industrial and Economic Gains
These solar farms employ thousands during construction and thousands more in operations. They reduce diesel reliance, stabilize energy prices, and support local development. Projects like Benban alone created upwards of 8,000 construction jobs .
4. Environmental Impact
Collectively, African mega-solar installations contribute to significant CO₂ reductions. Benban and Ouarzazate alone prevent millions of tonnes of emissions annually, helping countries meet climate targets .
5. Regional Energy Security
By increasing solar capacity, nations lessen dependency on fossil fuels. Angola’s Baía Farta project supports its plan to almost double power capacity by 2025, while countries like Ivory Coast gear up for a renewables-based energy shield .
Looking Ahead
Africa’s solar journey is accelerating—over 8,100 MW of solar projects are under construction and another 134,000 MW are in planning reuters.com. With innovation in storage, smarter grids, and local manufacturing growth, the continent aims to harness its solar strength to fuel a self-reliant, prosperous, and sustainable future.
