What Africa Ren does

Africa REN is a privately held renewable energy developer, financier, and operator headquartered in Paris, France, with operational offices in Dakar (Senegal) and Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Founded in 2018 by Gilles Parmentier, the company specializes in developing, financing, building, and operating utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plants and battery energy storage systems (BESS) in West Africa. Its operating portfolio comprises three flagship assets: Senergy 2 (25 MW solar IPP in Bokhol, Senegal — the first industrial-scale solar Independent Power Producer in West Africa, commissioned October 2016), Kodéni Solar (38 MW solar plant in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso — the largest in the country, commissioned 2023), and Walo Storage (16 MW solar paired with a 10 MW/20 MWh lithium-ion BESS in Bokhol, Senegal — the first battery storage project in West Africa dedicated to grid frequency regulation, commissioned 2025). Together these assets target more than 250 MW of portfolio capacity by 2026, serving approximately 200,000 people equivalent via Senergy 2 and 115,000 homes via Kodéni Solar, while avoiding roughly 67,000+ tons of CO2 per year.

The underlying technology stack combines polycrystalline and monocrystalline PV modules, single-axis tracker systems, string and centralized inverters, and lithium-ion battery storage with grid-services capabilities including frequency regulation, spinning reserve, island functioning, and Black-Start. The business model is built on long-dated (20–25 year) take-or-pay Power Purchase Agreements with national utilities — Senelec in Senegal and SONABEL in Burkina Faso — providing high-visibility recurring revenue, supplemented by off-grid solar-plus-storage offerings to commercial and industrial clients. Project financing is sourced from development finance institutions (FMO, EAIF via Ninety One), infrastructure private equity (Metier Sustainable Capital), and seed-stage support (SCAF, a UNEP initiative). Africa REN holds an Equator Principles and UNPRI compliance posture and is structured around an investment vehicle (Africa REN Energy, Mauritius) that consolidates asset-level equity.

Customer concentration is structurally high: Senelec and SONABEL are the sole offtakers for grid-connected projects, while parallel engagement with C&I clients represents a smaller, emerging segment. The company's differentiation rests on first-mover positioning in West African solar and storage IPPs, deep institutional relationships with development financiers and government counterparties, and a multi-jurisdictional operating footprint that lowers the cost of originating complex infrastructure projects. The near-term strategic focus is on closing the gap toward the 250 MW target, expanding the BESS and grid-services product line, and selectively extending the platform into adjacent verticals such as mini-grids, public lighting, and small hydro.

Name

Africa Ren

Legal name

Africa Ren

Website

https://africa-ren.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Africa REN is a Paris-based renewable energy developer that builds, finances, and operates utility-scale solar power plants and battery storage systems in West Africa under long-term take-or-pay PPAs with national utilities in Senegal and Burkina Faso.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Solar Power Generation & Energy Storage

NAICS

Solar Electric Power Generation (221114)

SIC

Electric, Gas & Sanitary Services (4900)

akta.pro primary industry

Solar PV Power Plant EPC (Utility-Scale) (EUAEAAAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

PV Balance of System (BOS) & Electrical Infrastructure (Inverters, Transformers, Cabling, Substations) (EUACAGAC), Solar Financing, Leasing & Ownership Platforms (Tax Equity, PPA, Securitization) (EUAMABAJ), Owner’s Engineering, Grid Interconnection & System Studies (PVsyst/Performance Modeling, Protection Studies) (EUACAGAG)

Keywords

• Solar power generation
• Battery energy storage
• Renewable energy development
• Power purchase agreements
• Solar infrastructure financing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs): Long-term take-or-pay Power Purchase Agreements with government utilities (Senelec in Senegal, SONABEL in Burkina Faso) providing fixed revenue over 20-25 years. Revenue is derived from electricity generation sold to national grids.
2. Direct Power Supply to C&I: Off-grid solar and storage solutions supplying clean electricity directly to commercial and industrial companies, providing energy-efficient smart solutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Africa Ren develops, finances, and operates utility-scale solar photovoltaic power plants and battery energy storage systems in West Africa. The company sells the electricity generated by these assets to national utilities and commercial/industrial clients under long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) of 20–25 years, supplemented by grid-stability services such as frequency regulation. Its current portfolio consists of three flagship projects — Senergy 2 (25 MW, Senegal), Kodéni Solar (38 MW, Burkina Faso), and Walo Storage (16 MW solar + 10 MW/20 MWh battery, Senegal) — targeting 250 MW of capacity by 2026.

Product overview

Africa Ren operates as a renewable energy developer in West Africa, building, financing, and operating sustainable energy infrastructure. Its core portfolio consists of three flagship projects: Senergy 2 (25 MW solar, Senegal), Kodéni Solar (38 MW solar, Burkina Faso), and Walo Storage (10 MW/20 MWh battery + 16 MW solar, Senegal). Together these assets target over 250–300 MW of solar and storage capacity by 2026, serving both grid-connected utilities and commercial/industrial off-takers via long-term PPAs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Senergy 2 25 MWp polycrystalline solar power plant in Bokhol, Senegal — the first industrial-scale solar IPP in West Africa. Generates clean electricity sold to Senelec under a 20-year take-or-pay PPA and avoids approximately 27,000 tons of CO2 per year.
• Kodéni Solar 38 MWp solar power plant in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso — the largest solar plant in the country, using monocrystalline modules, single-axis trackers, and string inverters. Operates under a 25-year take-or-pay PPP with SONABEL and avoids over 41,000 tons of CO2 per year.
• Walo Storage First large-scale battery energy storage system (BESS) in West Africa, combining 10 MW / 20 MWh lithium-ion battery storage with 16 MW of solar photovoltaic generation in Bokhol, Senegal. Provides grid frequency regulation, increases spinning reserve capacity by 40%, and offers island functioning and Black-Start capability, operating under a 20-year take-or-pay PPP with Senelec.

Quantifiable outcome

• 67,000+ tons CO2 avoided per year combined across projects
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered key and compliance.

• Eiffage Energie Systèmes RMTkeyTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner for Walo Storage project construction. Provides battery storage and solar PV system integration expertise.
• Vinci EnergieskeyTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner for Senergy 2 project construction. International energy services company providing EPC services for solar power plants.
• Ineo (Equans)keyTechnology or IntegrationTechnical partner for Kodéni Solar project construction in Burkina Faso. Part of Equans (ENGIE group) specializing in electrical and mechanical engineering.
• Equator Principles / IFCcomplianceOthersAfrica REN complies with Equator Principles of IFC and UNPRI. All projects are financed by institutions that have signed these principles and are subject to regular independent audits for social and environmental risk management.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Scatec ASA: Norwegian-listed solar and storage IPP with a large sub-Saharan African portfolio, including utility-scale PV plants in West and North Africa under long-term PPAs with national utilities — directly comparable to Africa REN's developer/IPP model in Senegal and Burkina Faso.
• Total Eren: French renewable energy IPP (originated as Total's renewables arm) focused on solar, wind, and storage in emerging markets including Africa; shares Africa REN's French-headquartered, emerging-markets solar-plus-storage IPP model and CFA-zone exposure.
• Globeleq: UK-headquartered IPP developing, owning, and operating power assets across Africa with utility-scale solar and wind projects — comparable as an Africa-focused power generation developer serving national grids under long-term offtake.
• Lekela Power: Pan-African renewable energy IPP (now part of Octopus Energy Generation) focused on utility-scale wind and solar across Africa under government PPAs — directly comparable in business model, asset class, and African geography.
• ACWA Power: Saudi-listed developer, investor, and operator of power and desal plants with a growing African renewable IPP portfolio, often financed by development banks — comparable as a utility-scale solar IPP targeting emerging-market offtakers.
• Masdar: UAE-based renewable energy developer and investor with multiple sub-Saharan African solar and wind IPPs — comparable as a utility-scale renewable developer active in West Africa under long-term PPAs.
• AMEA Power: UAE-headquartered renewable IPP with a rapidly expanding African portfolio of utility-scale solar, wind, and storage projects — closely comparable as a fast-growing emerging-markets renewable developer/IPP competing for similar African tenders.

Broad incumbents

• Engie: French global utility with significant generation and renewables operations across Africa, including IPPs and distributed energy — broader incumbent competitor for African power tenders and development finance partnerships.
• EDF Renewables: French-headquartered renewable energy developer with a global utility-scale solar and storage portfolio including African projects — comparable as a broad incumbent renewable developer overlapping with Africa REN's geographies and asset class.
• Eranove: French-African utility platform operating power generation and water infrastructure across West and Central Africa — comparable as a regional incumbent in West African power infrastructure with overlapping government and concession relationships.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/africa-ren

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Africa Ren