The African Energy Commission (AFREC) has held the second edition of its continental training on Renewable Energy Project Planning, Development, and Financing in Cairo, reinforcing efforts to build Africa’s capacity to turn renewable energy strategies into bankable, actionable projects.
The programme which is delivered with support from the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) in partnership with the Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) is taking place from 15 to 19 December, builds on the inaugural session held in Nairobi in November and brings together over 40 senior officials and technical experts from African Union Member States.
Hosted by the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt, the Cairo training covers the full renewable energy project lifecycle, including planning and resource assessment, financing and procurement, construction, and grid integration. The training reflects a growing demand among AU Member States for practical skills to move renewable energy projects from policy ambition to construction and operation.
Opening the session, Mr. Rashid Ali Abdallah, Executive Director of AFREC, emphasised that Africa’s energy transition now depends as much on delivery capacity as on policy commitments. “Africa’s energy future will not be built by ambition alone, but by people equipped with the right skills to turn plans into projects,” said Mr. Abdallah, noting that limited technical and institutional capacity remains a binding constraint to renewable energy deployment.
Meanwhile, Major General Mohamed Osama Essa, the Undersecretary for International Cooperation and Agreements, Ministry of Electricity and Renewable Energy of Egypt lauded the training as a direct investment in enhancing collective expertise in Africa. “In the journey toward a truly modern African energy system, our most precious resource is our Human Capital. This training is not merely about transferring technical knowledge; it is about fostering a new generation of African energy leaders who are equipped to navigate the complexities of grid modernisation, renewable energy integration, and climate change mitigation.”
The Renewable Energy training forms part of AFREC’s Comprehensive Capacity Building Programme, a flagship initiative aligned with its mandate as the African Union’s specialized energy agency. AFREC’s continental skills assessments highlight that barriers to renewable energy deployment are not only financial, but also technical, institutional, and procedural.
Designed as a practice-oriented programme, the Cairo training combines technical sessions with interactive case studies, group work, and a field visit to a renewable energy facility, allowing participants to examine applied project design, implementation, and operational challenges firsthand. This hands-on approach is intended to bridge the gap between theory and practice and to support immediate application in national contexts.
Egypt offers a particularly relevant setting for the second cohort. Its experience in scaling renewable energy generation, integrating variable renewables into national grids, and strengthening enabling frameworks provides valuable and transferable lessons for countries at different stages of the energy transition.
With the Nairobi and Cairo cohorts combined, more than 80 African energy professionals will have been trained under the programme in 2025. AFREC plans to further expand the programme in 2026 through additional in-person sessions and online delivery via its Capacity-Building Information System, extending continental access and supporting sustained cross-border skills exchange.
Through this growing portfolio of capacity-building initiatives, AFREC continues to position itself as a continental hub supporting African Union Member States in advancing reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy as a foundation for inclusive growth and long-term development.
