French and African leaders on Tuesday announced more than $11 billion in renewable energy investments across Africa, unveiling the commitments during a closed-door CEO forum held alongside the France-Africa Summit in Nairobi. The forum included French President Emmanuel Macron, Kenyan President William Ruto and representatives from more than 30 African countries.
Executives from companies including TotalEnergies, EDF, Kenya Airways and Rubis Energy discussed projects spanning sustainable aviation fuel, hydropower, solar, wind and clean cooking initiatives. The announcements were made as African governments seek renewable energy financing to expand electricity access for millions while steering away from high-carbon development paths.
In remarks at the summit, Ruto told delegates that Africa has “a historic opportunity to not only participate in the global energy transition but to help lead it,” adding that “for Africa, this energy transition must also be an industrial transition.” Leaders at the end of the summit pledged to promote green industrialization through investment in renewable or clean energy and called for additional investment.
One of the headline deals involved Kenya Airways and Rubis Energy, which signed an agreement to jointly develop what the companies described as Africa’s first sustainable aviation fuel production facility in Kenya. The refinery is expected to produce 32,000 metric tons of sustainable aviation fuel each year. George Kamal, acting CEO of Kenya Airways, said: “While we currently depend entirely on imports, this refinery allows us to produce a sustainable, local version of that fuel,” and that “sustainable, renewable biogenic fuel is the optimal route for airlines to reach the goal of the International Civil Aviation Organization to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050.”
TotalEnergies said it plans to spend $10 billion in Africa by 2030, including $2 billion for a renewable energy project in Rwanda and $400 million for clean cooking initiatives in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. EDF also announced a 2-gigawatt hydropower project, while the company pointed to prior investments in hydropower and renewables across Africa, including the 1.5-gigawatt Mphanda Nkuwa project in Mozambique alongside TotalEnergies, as well as projects in Cameroon and Malawi.
In Zambia, Global Telecom committed $350 million toward the construction of a 250-megawatt solar plant. Meridian said it would invest $200 million to double the capacity of Kenya’s Kipeto wind power project to 200 megawatts.
Analysts said the wave of announcements reflects growing competition among global powers and multinational corporations seeking influence in Africa’s emerging green economy, where solar, wind and hydropower potential remains largely untapped. The deals also land as countries weigh how to finance generation and industrial development while addressing the climate and energy challenges that follow constrained access to reliable power.