A new generation of UK-backed clean energy innovations is poised to scale across Africa, with projects targeting some of the continent’s most critical energy challenges — from powering hospitals and telecommunications infrastructure to supporting farmers, fishing communities, food businesses and off-grid enterprises.
More than £2 million in investment across 10 projects has been announced by ZE-Gen to accelerate the deployment of clean energy alternatives to fossil-fuel generators in sectors where reliable electricity can deliver significant social and economic benefits.
The projects span eight African countries and will demonstrate how proven renewable energy and energy-storage technologies can be deployed at scale in real-world settings, particularly in communities facing unreliable electricity supply or limited access to national grids.
The latest investment builds on several years of UK Government-backed innovation programmes supporting companies developing practical solutions to Africa’s energy challenges.
Clean energy for essential services
For Africa, where unreliable electricity remains a major constraint on healthcare, manufacturing, agriculture and small businesses, such technologies could offer a pathway towards more resilient and affordable energy systems.
The projects are particularly significant for facilities and businesses that cannot afford prolonged power interruptions but currently depend heavily on diesel or petrol generators as backup sources.
From innovation to scale
The projects are being supported through the ZE-Gen Scale-up Fund, backed by the UK Government’s Ayrton Fund through the Transforming Energy Access platform and its Global Research and Technology Development portfolio.
The programme builds on earlier UK-backed innovation initiatives, including ZE-Gen, Energy Catalyst and Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities, which have supported the development and testing of technologies aimed at addressing energy access and clean-energy challenges in emerging markets.
The latest funding is intended to help promising companies move beyond pilot projects towards wider commercial deployment.
Among the companies involved is Telford-based battery technology company AceOn, which is deploying sodium-ion energy storage systems in Uganda to support telecommunications infrastructure.
In Kenya, SHIELD, a University of Oxford spin-out, is supporting hospitals seeking to transition away from diesel-powered electricity generation.
In Mozambique, Gommyr is developing renewable-energy-powered infrastructure designed to support fishing communities, including energy needs associated with cold-chain systems.
Africa’s energy transition needs practical solutions
The projects come at a time when African countries are seeking to expand energy access while reducing dependence on fossil fuels and strengthening the resilience of essential services.
For hospitals, unreliable electricity can threaten critical medical services and equipment. For telecommunications companies, power interruptions can affect connectivity. In agriculture and fisheries, inadequate refrigeration and storage can contribute to post-harvest losses and reduced incomes.
Clean energy systems that combine renewable generation with battery storage therefore have potential beyond simply replacing diesel generators. They can help businesses and communities improve reliability, reduce operating costs and strengthen resilience to energy disruptions.
Lily Beadle, Programme Director at ZE-Gen, said the projects demonstrate how clean energy can support essential services and businesses.
“These ZE-Gen supported projects show how clean energy can power the services and businesses people rely on every day — from hospitals and telecommunications networks to food systems and local enterprises.”
She said the next challenge was to take successful innovations beyond pilot projects.
“Through the ZE-Gen Scale-up Fund, we are helping innovative companies move from pilot projects to larger-scale deployment, creating new opportunities for investment while delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy where it is needed most.”
Why it matters for Africa
The emerging portfolio highlights a growing shift in Africa’s energy transition — from developing technologies in isolation to deploying commercially viable solutions where unreliable energy has direct consequences for people’s livelihoods and essential services.
If successfully scaled, the projects could provide evidence for governments, development finance institutions, investors and private-sector energy companies seeking practical models for expanding decentralised renewable energy across the continent.
For Africa’s growing population and rapidly expanding economies, the challenge is not only generating more electricity but ensuring that reliable, affordable and clean power reaches the hospitals, businesses, farms, markets and communities that need it most.