Connect with us

Business

Data Centers Could Be the Spark Africa’s Power Sector Needs (By NJ Ayuk)

Published

4 months ago

on

The growth of data centers also often brings with it a push for innovative power solutions, including the integration of renewable energy sources and advanced grid management technologies

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, December 30, 2025/APO Group/ —By NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman, African Energy Chamber (https://EnergyChamber.org/).

A quarter of the way into the 21st century, digital technology has infiltrated the daily lives of billions of people to an incredible degree across the globe — but not everywhere… yet. As digital penetration rapidly nears 100% in many parts of the world, the fastest-growing markets are in developing countries where even simple electricity is hardly an assured thing. Perhaps the greatest potential is in the African market, where penetration remains shallow and demand is skyrocketing. Simply put, there’s nowhere to go but up.

Although electrification has been stubbornly slow to spread across the continent thus far, internet usage is expanding at extraordinary rates. The Global System Operators and Manufacturers Association’s (GSMA) Mobile Economy Report 2023 estimated that smartphone adoption in sub-Saharan Africa would rise from 51% in 2022 to 87% in 2030, driven by rising youth populations and more competitive mobile pricing. The same report predicted a near-quadrupling of data usage per mobile by 2028, from 4.6 GB per user per month to 18 GB. Every one of those phones that loads a search engine, a shopping site, or a business app these days is adding to that computing load, and that’s just the mobile sector. Advances in financial technology are creating new opportunities for African businesses to thrive, and artificial intelligence is fast invading every facet of the internet. Generative AI and machine learning applications consume up to 10 times more energy than traditional searches, making all that growth orders of magnitude more expensive.

So far, data centers in Europe have mostly been able to handle Africa’s needs. As African businesses and consumers increasingly demand faster speeds and lower latency, however, the need is quickly growing for more localized computing infrastructure. As of mid-2025, Africa has 223 data centers spread across 38 countries — less than 0.02% of the world’s total of more than 11,800. South Africa has the most with 56, followed by Kenya with 19 and Nigeria with 17, meaning 41% of Africa’s data center infrastructure is currently concentrated in these three countries.

In “The State of African Energy: 2026 Outlook Report,” the African Energy Chamber (AEC) posits that development of cloud infrastructure in these key markets could serve as nuclei to accelerate growth across the continent. Growing concerns over data sovereignty are also spurring some nations to require that certain sensitive data stays in-country, further driving demand for local data centers. The African data center market was valued at USD3.49 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD6.81 billion by 2030, rising at a Compounded Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 11.79%.

As a rule, data centers require a substantial and reliable supply of electricity — something Africa is not currently known for, with many countries facing frequent outages. Nigeria is a prime example. The country’s 17 data centers — the third most in Africa — collectively require around 137 MW of power capacity in 2025. Nigeria’s power grid is notorious for providing only around four hours of power per day, forcing data center operators to make up the difference with diesel generators that raise costs and pollution levels. Even around the capital city of Lagos, where internet connectivity is highest and 14 of the data centers are concentrated, the grid is a constant source of uncertainty.

Electrification in Africa is a multi-pronged issue with many obstacles on the path to modernization, but there is no doubt that there is a demand to be met

Overall, the AEC report states, Africa’s data center power demand capacity is forecast to achieve a CAGR of 9% between 2024 and 2030 and hit 2 GW by 2030. The total data center capacity globally, by comparison, is forecast to log a CAGR of 11% between 2024 and 2030, reaching 249 GW by year-end 2030. Adding in the power needed for cooling and other ancillary loads, the global total installed capacity is estimated at 374 GW by 2030.

The relentless demand of data centers, however, functions as a great stabilizer for attracting socially responsible capital investment in the power infrastructure. Predictably growing demand assures investors that money spent on expanding grids and developing new power generation centers will both improve lives and pay off economically. The growth of data centers also often brings with it a push for innovative power solutions, including the integration of renewable energy sources and advanced grid management technologies. Upgraded grids improve sustainability, bolster resilience, and expand the residential and commercial customer base, spreading out fixed costs and thereby reducing end users’ electricity prices over time.

In northern Africa, growing hubs such as Egypt and Morocco benefit from strategic positioning that connects Europe, Africa, and the Middle East to major internet backbone lines. Egypt offers affordable land and electricity prices, while Morocco is rapidly modernizing its infrastructure and fostering a favorable legal environment for data center growth.

Sub-Saharan Africa faces more challenges, but even here, many nations are stepping up efforts to meet the insatiable demand. In South Africa, the largest market, there is particularly strong demand for facilities around Johannesburg and Cape Town. Johannesburg benefits from a diversified mix of wholesale and retail demand and both international and local providers. South Africa is leading the continent in solar integration, with public-private projects like the 12 MW solar farm being developed by Africa Data Centres and Distributed Power Africa.

Kenya’s grid is already over 60% renewable, including geothermal, solar, wind, and hydroelectric sources. The Naivasha geothermal zone, which supplies nearly half of the country’s power, will host a planned 100 MW green data center, backed by a USD1 billion investment by Microsoft and G42. Such clean, non-intermittent power solutions give Kenya the ability to support data centers with both lower emissions and greater stability. The Kenyan government also offers tax incentives for investments in special economic zones, including a 10% corporate tax exemption for the first 10 years, and over 15% after 10 years.

Smaller countries are getting in on the game as well. Côte d’Ivoire (currently home to six data centers) launched its largest solar power plant in Boundiali in June 2023, delivering 37.5 MWp of capacity toward its national goal of sourcing 45% of its electricity from renewable energy by 2030. West Africa’s largest wind project is the Taiba N’Diaye Wind Farm in Senegal (seven data centers), while Gabon (one data center) is actively developing hydropower and attracting investment in solar hybrid systems.

Not every country will be able to confront the growing digital demand equally. Data centers are notoriously water-hungry due to the need to cool off huge banks of closely packed computers. Nations with vast areas of desert and savannah can ill afford to have data centers compete for water with agriculture and may have to rely on their neighbors through the use of regional power pools as suggested in the AEC report. Others with fewer renewable energy prospects will likely focus on developing more conventional energy sources such as oil and gas, which many have in great abundance. Even those with strong renewable sectors would be wise to develop conventional energy to achieve the reliability that other parts of the world take for granted. The AEC has long advocated the flexibility of natural gas to serve as a bridge fuel, alleviating shortages with quick ramp-up and ramp-down when renewable supplies fluctuate.

Electrification in Africa is a multi-pronged issue with many obstacles on the path to modernization, but there is no doubt  that there is a demand to be met. Building and provisioning local data centers is a powerful step toward solving some of government’s most pressing problems in any nation: improving infrastructure, growing the economy, and strengthening national security.

“The State of African Energy: 2026 Outlook Report” is available for download. Visit https://apo-opa.co/48Y4qkH to request your copy.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Business

Ludoil Energy signs agreement to acquire ISAB, creating Italy’s largest privately held multi-energy company

Published

2 hours ago

on

May 14, 2026

By

With ISAB, the Ludoil Group takes a decisive step up in scale and industrial scope: spanning power generation, crude oil processing and advanced biofuels

MILAN, Italy, May 14, 2026/APO Group/ —
  • A strategically significant transaction for Italy’s industrial and energy sectors, restoring the country’s most important refining complex to Italian ownership.
  • Subject to clearance under Golden Power and antitrust procedures, the acquisition will see ISAB evolve from a traditional refinery into an Energy Company, underpinning competitiveness, security of supply and the development of new energy value chains.
  • With ISAB, the Ludoil Group takes a decisive step up in scale and industrial scope: spanning power generation, crude oil processing and advanced biofuels, the enlarged group will become Italy’s leading privately held energy operator, with expected consolidated revenues exceeding €10 billion per year.

 

Ludoil Capital S.r.l. (www.Ludoil.it), a wholly-owned subsidiary of holding company Ludoil Energy S.p.A. (“Ludoil” or the “Group”), has signed a Sale and Purchase Agreement (“SPA”) with GOI Energy S.r.l. to acquire GOI Energy’s equity stake in ISAB S.r.l. (“ISAB”), owner of the Priolo Gargallo refinery and its associated industrial, logistics and energy infrastructure. The transaction is structured in two phases, the first covering a 51% interest and subject, among other conditions, to clearance from the Italian Government under the special powers regime applicable to assets of national strategic importance (Decree-Law 21/2012, the so-called Golden Power), and to the requisite antitrust and regulatory approvals.

Located in south-eastern Sicily, in the Province of Syracuse and straddling the municipalities of Priolo Gargallo, Augusta, and Melilli, the facility is Italy’s largest refining complex, with an authorised capacity of 20 million tonnes per year and a balanced capacity of 15 million tonnes per year, and represents a strategic infrastructure for national energy security, and represents critical national infrastructure for energy security. Through this transaction, an asset of vital national importance returns to Italian ownership.

The acquisition marks the beginning of a new chapter for ISAB, which will be transformed into an Energy Company with an integrated portfolio that spans crude oil processing through to advanced biofuels, positioning the business as a strategic hub for energy flows between Europe, Africa, the Americas, and the Middle East. Operations will follow a shared-value model, ensuring that ISAB strengthens its role in safeguarding energy supplies and continues to deliver prosperity to the local community and the country at large.

Over the medium term, industrial strategy will centre on advanced bio-processing. The plan envisages the progressive build-out of new value chains for the production of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), BioOil, second-generation bioethanol and BioETBE – a comprehensive set of renewable energy carriers aligned with European decarbonisation policy.

Investments will be structured to comply with the European RED III Directive, reflecting the Group’s commitment to internationally recognised sustainability standards. Alongside the bio activities, the site already hosts a 540 MW power and cogeneration plant and will see the addition of further renewable generation assets totalling 20 MW. These investments form part of a broader transformation of the Priolo industrial district, which is already attracting significant capital flows into biorefining and helping to establish the Syracuse area as a leading hub for the energy transition in the Mediterranean.

On employment, the existing workforce will be retained in full. ISAB represents a wealth of engineering expertise built over decades in Sicily – the historic heart of Italian refining and petrochemicals. It is a nationally recognised centre of excellence which Ludoil intends to develop further and take onto the international stage. The growth plan and new facilities under development are also expected to create further employment opportunities locally, including through partnerships with academic and research institutions.

The complementarity between Ludoil’s commercial and infrastructure capabilities and ISAB’s industrial expertise will enable full vertical integration across the value chain — from feedstock sourcing through downstream operations to distribution. The Group’s portfolio comprises coastal storage terminals, logistics infrastructure, a fuel retail network and a diversified mix of renewable generation assets, from biomethane to solar PV and wind.

The transaction establishes Ludoil as Italy’s leading privately held Multi-Energy Company, with expected consolidated revenues exceeding €10 billion per year, ranking the Group among Italy’s largest companies by revenue and placing it at the forefront of the transformation of the national energy system.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ludoil.

Continue Reading

Business

Africa Energy Forum 2026: Building Africa’s Industrialised Future

Published

7 hours ago

on

May 14, 2026

By

Cape Town to host continent’s largest energy gathering as focus shifts from aspiration to execution

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, May 13, 2026/APO Group/ –The Africa Energy Forum (https://apo-opa.co/4ugdl9y) returns from 16-19 June 2026, bringing together the companies, investors and governments driving Africa’s move from energy access to industrial-scale infrastructure.

The companies gathering in Cape Town are deploying capital into transmission infrastructure, building mining corridors that will define trade routes for decades, financing baseload capacity that can power heavy industry, and developing renewable projects that will anchor Africa’s manufacturing future. Forum Sponsor Sun Africa leads a group of sponsors whose projects and investments are already shaping how the continent builds its industrial base.

“I am looking forward to joining the conversation in Cape Town this June. What excites me about this year’s Summit is the calibre of capital and commitment in the room — companies that are financing baseload capacity for heavy industry, building mining corridors that will define trade routes for decades, and deploying renewable projects that will anchor Africa’s manufacturing future. That is the kind of long-term, structural thinking that Sun Africa has always believed this continent deserves, and it is exactly the conversation we need to be having.” Sun Africa, CEO, Adam Cortese.

ACWA Power, Infinity Power and AMEA Power are building gigawatt-scale renewable capacity across the continent. Globeleq and TotalEnergies are financing and operating projects that demonstrate how private capital can deliver industrial-grade infrastructure. British International Investment and IFC are structuring deals that blend concessional and commercial finance to unlock sovereign wealth fund participation. Nedbank CIB is providing the sustainable finance structures that allow projects to reach financial close.

“As Africa moves from aspiration to execution, this year’s agenda focuses on the hardware of industrialisation – the steel, concrete and transmission lines that will define Africa’s industrial future,” said Simon Gosling, Managing Director of EnergyNet.

The companies driving this shift face common challenges: structuring bankable projects where perceived risk exceeds actual performance, moving critical minerals from extraction to processing, building transmission corridors that serve both mines and cities, and deploying patient capital into long-term infrastructure.

As Africa moves from aspiration to execution, this year’s agenda focuses on the hardware of industrialisation – the steel, concrete and transmission lines

Cape Town provides the right setting. South Africa is navigating private transmission investment, energy trading, mining-driven renewable deployment, and tensions between industrial growth and climate commitments – challenges the rest of the continent will face. The city’s reforms offer a live case study.

The agenda reflects where these companies are focusing their resources. Critical minerals receive a two-day dedicated stream exploring downstream processing, transport corridors and value capture from reserves representing over 30% of global supply. Sessions examine the Lobito Corridor, Liberty Corridor and Simandou infrastructure as models for large-scale project finance.

Transmission and baseload themes address grid expansion, private investment structures and 24/7 availability for data centres and manufacturing. Energy trading sessions explore how sponsors are transforming project finance through creditworthy off-take, whole technology discussions will cover AI for revenue protection, data centre supply chains and CBAM compliance.

More broadly, the forum structure supports deal-making. The speaker programme includes closed-door roundtables bringing together DFIs, sovereign wealth funds, Middle East ministers, utilities, regulators and the private sector for frank discussions on capital deployment.

This will bring together senior public and private sector leadership, with notable speakers including H.E. Honourable Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity & Energy, South Africa; H.E. Honourable Samantha Graham-Marè, Deputy Minister of Electricity & Energy, South Africa; Dan Marokane, GCE, Eskom, South Africa; H.E. Honourable Jeremiah Kpan Koung, Vice President, Liberia; H.E. Honourable Dr. Kgosientsho Ramokgopa, Minister of Electricity & Energy, South Africa; H.E. Honourable Lerato Mataboge, African Union Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy; Precious Edward, Head, IPP Office, South Africa; Obaïd Amrane, CEO, Ithmar Capital, Morocco, Chair, Africa Sovereign Investors Forum (ASIF) & Chair, International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds (IFSWF); Mike Teke, Group CEO, Seriti Resources; and Jonathan Hoffman, CEO, Globeleq.

Regional fireside chats, meanwhile, will spotlight opportunities across North, East, South and West Africa. Day One features ministerial sessions with participation from Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Energy and The Gambia’s Ministry of Environment, Climate Change & Natural Resources.

Additional sponsors driving the programme include AKSA as Exhibitor Sponsor, with lead sponsor support from Synergy Consulting, ATIDI, Engie, European Investment Bank, Standard Bank, Red Rocket, USP&E Global and Sungrow.

On the final day, YES! (Youth Energy Summit) takes place as part of the aef stream under the theme ‘Empowering Today’s Entrepreneurs – Building Tomorrow’s Industrialists’. Here, impact leaders will present scalable initiatives creating entrepreneurship opportunities in Africa’s energy sector, while industry partners lead interactive workshops building practical skills for 600 young people in attendance.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of EnergyNet Ltd..

Continue Reading

Business

Canon Introduces Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA)-Compliant Authenticity Imaging System for News Organisations

Published

7 hours ago

on

May 14, 2026

By

Canon’s Authenticity Imaging System reliably embeds provenance information into images at the point of capture as the foundation for authenticity, thereby enabling verification of content history throughout the workflow

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, May 13, 2026/APO Group/ –Canon Inc. (www.Canon-CNA.com) and Canon Europe Ltd. announced today that Canon will roll out its Authenticity Imaging System for supported models in May 2026 initially in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA)1. This system is a comprehensive solution based on the C2PA2 (Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity) standard to manage image provenance records, issue certificates, apply trusted timestamps and verify content history. Designed for images captured with C2PA-enabled3 cameras, specifically the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II, the system helps support the preservation of provenance information from the point of capture onward, in accordance with each organisation’s editorial and technical workflows.

 

As generative AI technologies continue to advance, image manipulation and the spread of fake images have emerged as significant societal challenges. News organisations are increasingly expected to clearly demonstrate the provenance of the images they publish to ensure their authenticity. Canon joined C2PA and the Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI)4 in 2023 and has since been advancing the research and implementation of provenance management technologies based on international standards. Canon’s Authenticity Imaging System reliably embeds provenance information into images at the point of capture as the foundation for authenticity, thereby enabling verification of content history throughout the workflow, from initial intake through editing, distribution and publication.

The solution uses manifest information5 generated by C2PA-compatible cameras as its starting point, issuing public certificates and applying timestamps from trusted time-stamping authorities to help maintain verifiable provenance records over time. It provides an environment in which provenance information, including records added during editing and distribution processes, can be verified at the time of publication. This is designed to enhance transparency in how images are handled in news operations, accommodating both speed and authenticity in photojournalism.

Ahead of the official launch, Reuters, the global news organisation, collaborated with Canon on initial technical enablement and specific testing of C2PA cameras. Using the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II with the Image Authenticity feature enabled, Reuters found that authenticated provenance data could be generated reliably.

Canon will continue to support the assurance of image authenticity in news organisations through its Authenticity Imaging System while also exploring expansion into a wide range of fields where authenticity is critical, including government, healthcare, and research. In addition, Canon will work toward the broader adoption of international standards such as C2PA by collaborating with related organisations and partners and further advancing provenance management technologies.

For more information, please visit the Authenticity Imaging System website: https://apo-opa.co/42yWNNH

1. Launch dates differ by country and region.

2. C2PA is an organisation which develops technical standards for establishing content provenance and authenticity of digital content.

3. C2PA functionality requires paid activation.

4. CAI is an organisation that promotes the adoption of C2PA, for example by recording content provenance in compliance with C2PA and providing open-source tools to verify that content.

5. Refers to metadata (such as capture date and time, location, equipment used, and camera settings) which is assigned a digital signature to prevent post-capture alteration. The date and time of capture are recorded based on the camera’s internal clock and are therefore not guaranteed to exactly match the actual date and time of capture.

 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

Continue Reading

Trending

Exit mobile version