Clean Energy Transitions in the Greater Horn of Africa

The future of Africa’s energy sector is important globally. The International Energy Agency (IEA) is actively supporting evidence-based energy policy making in African countries with the aim of achieving affordable and clean energy, in line with United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7. This includes ensuring universal access for all, promoting increased energy security and affordability, and accelerating the development of clean energy systems across Africa, through a sustainable and accelerated regional energy system transformation.

The IEA is committed to developing clean, reliable and affordable energy systems, which are essential for achieving sustainable development objectives. It is also committed to helping African countries use energy sector transformation to cope with and recover from crises such as the Covid‑19 pandemic and the Russian Federation’s (“Russia” hereafter) invasion of Ukraine, which have destabilised economies and energy systems. This can be done by improving data, informing decision making and guiding policy implementation, in collaboration with local, regional and international institutions.

This report focuses on the eight countries in the greater Horn of Africa region, here defined as Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan and Uganda. It recommends pathways to accelerate clean energy transitions and analyses energy trends across the region. It also highlights policy-relevant best practices for accelerating energy access, energy sector development and transition to cleaner energy sources. The report includes key policy recommendations and identifies opportunities that can help policy makers design clean, cost-effective and efficient energy systems for the future.

The IEA will present the findings of this report at an event in October 2022, with participants from the eight countries. Participants will have the opportunity to discuss clean energy transition pathways, best practices, success stories, lessons learned and recommendations. The aim is to spur political will for accelerated transitions to clean energy and robust interregional stakeholder dialogues, to help country policy makers make effective, high-impact policies.

This report is part of an IEA initiative to promote clean energy transitions in Africa through enhanced regional energy collaboration. The initiative focuses on three regions (North Africa, the Sahel and the greater Horn of Africa), and includes technical workshops and reports that assess energy sector conditions and propose pathways for accelerated transformation. A financial contribution by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs made this study by the IEA Clean Energy Transitions Programme possible.