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    • Opinion
    • Energy

    Opinion: Battery storage is central to scaling renewable energy in Africa

    Battery storage technology holds the key to unlocking clean, reliable energy for millions. Malawi offers an example on how.

    By Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, Woochong Um // 27 February 2025

    When a devastating storm wiped out 30% of Malawi’s electricity generation in days, the country faced a choice: Rebuild as before or reimagine its energy future. The country’s response offers a blueprint for the continent’s power transformation.

    In just four years, Malawi has increased electricity access from 12% in 2020 to 25% in 2024 — a faster electrification rate than the previous four decades combined. This progress comes despite significant challenges. Three years ago, Storm Ana devastated Malawi, displacing thousands and crippling vital infrastructure, including the country's hydropower-reliant energy grid, which lost around half of its generation capacity within days. 

    For a country where hydropower supplies 70% of electricity, the storm’s aftermath underscored a harsh reality: Africa's energy systems remain highly vulnerable to climate change. Malawi's ability to recover and expand access underscores the urgent need to strengthen energy resilience and accelerate the transition to reliable, clean power sources across the country and continent.  

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    More reading:

    ► Opinion: Clean energy success demands country-specific solutions

    ► Opinion: In 2025, governments must ‘electrify, baby, electrify’

    ► Half of Africans don’t have electricity. Can Mission 300 change that? (Pro)

    • Energy
    • Funding
    • Banking & Finance
    • Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet
    • Malawi
    Printing articles to share with others is a breach of our terms and conditions and copyright policy. Please use the sharing options on the left side of the article. Devex Pro members may share up to 10 articles per month using the Pro share tool ( ).
    The views in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect Devex's editorial views.

    About the authors

    • Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera

      Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera

      Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera is the president of Malawi. Formerly a church leader, he entered politics in 2014, became leader of the opposition, and later won Malawi’s historic 2020 election rerun. His governance focuses on servant leadership, economic growth, and rule of law, alongside global advocacy for climate justice and fair trade.
    • Woochong Um

      Woochong Um

      Woochong Um is the CEO of the Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet, leading strategy and finance mobilization to accelerate renewable energy in emerging economies. Formerly Asian Development Bank’s managing director general, he spearheaded global partnerships, climate finance, and sustainability initiatives. His expertise in multistakeholder strategies drives GEAPP’s mission to tackle energy poverty and climate change through a just transition.

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