• AXIAN Energy secures about $1 million Norad grant for African projects

• Funding supports early-stage renewables in Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique, Sierra Leone

• Grant aims to accelerate utility-scale solar development across Africa

AXIAN Energy, a renewable energy developer active across Africa, said on Tuesday, Jan. 20, that it had secured a roughly $1 million grant from Norad. The funding from the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation will support early-stage work on several renewable energy projects in Africa.

The grant is expected to help fast-track development activities in Zambia, Madagascar, Mozambique and Sierra Leone, where demand for new power generation capacity remains high.

AXIAN Energy has become a growing player in utility-scale solar across Africa. In Zambia, it is developing a 54 MWp solar plant as part of its expansion into Southern Africa. In Senegal, it launched construction of the 60 MW NEA Kolda solar plant in 2025, one of the national solar programme’s flagship projects. The company has also received support from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) to strengthen its renewable project pipeline.

The developments come as the power sector attracts the bulk of global energy investment, while Africa continues to face a persistent gap in electricity access and generation capacity.

Against this backdrop, the ability of African developers to secure institutional backing at the development stage is critical to bringing new projects to market and tapping into the continent’s significant renewable potential, particularly in solar.

Abdoullah Diop