Benoit Farako, Ambassador for Climate Dialogue, Decarbonized Energy and Climate Risk Mitigation at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, will participate in the African Energy Week (AEW) 2026, scheduled for 12-16 October in Cape Town. Farako is expected to engage African policymakers, investors and industry leaders on France's evolving approach to climate diplomacy and its energy investment strategy across the continent.
Their participation comes at a time when African countries are trying to raise critical capital to expand energy access and develop new generation capacity in renewable energy, natural gas and emerging green fuels, as more than 600 million people across the continent still lack access to electricity. At the same time, France is strengthening its engagement with African energy markets through a renewed 2026 strategy focused on climate finance, infrastructure partnerships and long-term industrial cooperation.
Africa's energy transition represents one of the largest untapped opportunities globally. The continent has an estimated 482,000 GW of solar capacity, about 180,000 TWh of annual wind capacity and about 10% of global hydropower resources, of which about 90% is undeveloped. Africa is also positioning itself as the future hub of green hydrogen, with potential production capacity estimated at 30-60 million tonnes per year by 2050. Against this backdrop, France is increasingly moving from project-level engagement to supporting integrated energy systems that link domestic supply development to regional and export-oriented markets.
French investment in Africa's renewable energy sector continues to expand through a combination of public financing, concessional loans and private sector participation. Agence Française de Development (AFD) is playing a central role in increasing deployment, reducing risk for private investors and supporting transmission and grid infrastructure. Through its African Renewable Energy Scale-up Programme, AFD provides between €20 million and €100 million per project, supporting solar, wind and geothermal development in a number of markets, including Mauritania, Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.
Apart from financing, French energy companies remain one of the most active international developers in Africa's power sector. EDF Power Solutions is targeting a five-fold increase in its renewable energy portfolio on the continent between 2024 and 2026, with ambitions to reach 3 GW of installed capacity in the near term.
ENGIE continues to expand its presence in wind, solar, desalination, battery storage and green hydrogen projects, while TotalEnergies is pursuing integrated energy development in markets including Mozambique, South Africa, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Rwanda and Uganda – reflecting France's growing presence in Africa's broader energy diversification landscape.
“Africa's renewable energy potential represents an opportunity not only for French companies, but also for Europe to strengthen its long-term energy security through electricity and green fuel trade,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive President of the African Energy Chamber. “The AEW provides an important platform to align investment strategies, harmonize policy approaches and build a mutually beneficial partnership between Africa and France.”
Beyond renewable energy, France is supporting long-term nuclear energy development across Africa as part of a diversified energy mix. As one of the world's leading nuclear energy producers, it is working to strengthen institutional and technical capacity through initiatives such as the INSC Africa Programme, which supports countries including South Africa, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco and Nigeria in developing regulatory frameworks, safety systems and workforce training.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of the African Energy Chamber.