Egypt Ranks Third in Africa for Solar Capacity Additions

Egypt installed 500 megawatts of photovoltaic solar power capacity in 2025, ranking third among Africa’s top solar energy markets that year, according to the Information and Decision Support Centre.

Citing data from the World Energy Council, the centre said Egypt placed behind South Africa and Nigeria in annual solar additions, and ahead of Algeria. South Africa added approximately 1.6 gigawatts of solar capacity in 2025, Nigeria 803 megawatts, Egypt 500 megawatts and Algeria 400 megawatts.

The top 10 African solar markets accounted for around 90% of new installations on the continent, adding a combined 4.5 gigawatts in 2025. The expansion comes as African countries pursue a target of 300 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity by 2030, with about 31.5 gigawatts expected to be added across the continent by 2029.

The centre also noted that Africa’s economic growth reached 3.9% in 2025, with renewable energy playing a growing role in infrastructure development.

In Egypt, the energy sector has been identified as one of five priority areas within the government’s revised economic narrative, which targets real GDP growth of 7.5% by 2030 and the creation of 1.5 million jobs. Upgrading the national power grid remains a focus amid rising electricity demand.

Plans for the 2025/2026 fiscal year include raising electricity sector output to EGP 655.6 billion, expanding coverage to 99.8% and increasing annual power generation to 235 billion kilowatt-hours, up from 229 billion kilowatt-hours two years earlier.

To support grid stability, the government aims to add 3,000 megawatts of solar capacity and deploy 600 megawatts of battery storage before summer 2026, bringing total battery storage capacity to 1,100 megawatts.

These measures align with Egypt’s target of raising the share of renewable energy to at least 42% of total electricity generation by 2030 and positioning the country as a regional hub for energy exchange.