Masdar to add 3 GW of renewables in Angola, Uganda

January 20 (Renewables Now) - Renewables developer Masdar has signed deals to develop 3 GW of renewable energy projects in Uganda and Angola as part of a UAE-led initiative that supports the deployment of green energy in Africa.

The UAE-based developer has inked an agreement with Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water for the installation of 2 GW of renewables. Another pact was sealed with Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for the development of 1 GW of greenfield renewable projects.

The two deals come on top of an agreement with Zambia’s Ministry of Energy and Zambian national utility ZESCO Ltd for the joint development of solar, wind, and hydropower projects with a total capacity of 2 GW that was unveiled earlier this week.

The three agreements were signed during the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW) 2023. They are part of the Etihad 7 initiative which was launched a year ago with the objective of deploying 20 GW of clean energy capacity and providing electricity to 100 million people in Africa by 2035.

The three countries are not the only African nations where Masdar has ambitious renewable energy plans. In August 2022, the Abu Dhabi-based company clinched a deal to develop 2 GW of renewables in Tanzania.

"With Africa’s massive projected development and growth and low current clean energy penetration levels, we see enormous potential for the renewable energy sector across the continent." Masdar's chief executive Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi said on Friday.