Freetown: Ghana on Wednesday joined other nations at the second Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA) Investment Forum, launched in Freetown, Sierra Leone, to scale up investments in renewable energy and accelerate the continent's green industrialisation. The forum is a significant step towards enhancing renewable energy projects across Africa.
According to Ghana News Agency, the two-day forum, jointly organised by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) and the Government of Sierra Leone, brings together ministers, policymakers, investors, developers, and financiers from across Africa and beyond to unlock funding for clean energy projects. Ghana is represented by officials from the Ministry of Energy and the Energy Commission, who are engaging in high-level policy and technical sessions. They aim to explore investment models that could support Ghana's transition to a low-carbon energy future, aligning with its Energy Transition and Investment Plan (ETIP) launched last year.
The meeting follows the launch of an IRENA report at the Pre-COP in Braslia, which revealed that Africa accounted for only 1.6 per cent of global new renewable capacity in 2024. Experts say this figure highlights the urgent need for greater collaboration, financing, and policy coherence on the continent. Mr Francesco La Camera, the Director-General of IRENA, stated that renewables have become the most affordable source of power generation, yet there remains a significant gap between Africa's renewable energy potential and its actual deployment. He emphasized the urgency of removing financial barriers to ensure affordable capital reaches viable projects.
Dr Kandeh Yumkella, the Energy Sector Lead and Chairman of Sierra Leone's Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy and Food Security (PI-CREF), mentioned that hosting the forum aligns with Sierra Leone's efforts to raise its renewable energy share from 46 per cent to 52 per cent. This increase could be achieved through a USD 2.2 billion Mission 300 Compact.
The Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA), launched in 2023 by IRENA and six African countries, including Kenya, Ethiopia, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe, aims to mobilise international support for Africa's energy transition by connecting bankable projects with investors. Ghana's participation is strategic, given its recent renewable energy developments, such as solar mini-grids for island communities, expansion of the Bui Power Authority's solar projects, and plans to integrate more clean power into the national grid.
Officials express that lessons from the APRA process and regional investment matchmaking could help Ghana attract new financing for solar, wind, and waste-to-energy projects, which are key priorities under the country's energy transition pathway. Last year's inaugural APRA Investment Forum in Nairobi mobilised a project pipeline valued at USD 2.7 billion and identified around one gigawatt of renewable capacity. The Freetown meeting is expected to advance identified projects, strengthen investment readiness, and support implementation efforts across participating countries.
