- Cameroon’s renewable energy policy direction shifted dramatically during the past decade, with increased focus on solar, off-grid and mini-grid deployments, new research has found.
An international research team analysed the development of renewable energy in Cameroon between 2015 and 2024, with their findings highlighting that while hydropower remains the country’s dominant source of renewable energy, new deployments have somewhat plateaued. Cameroon’s hydropower capacity stood at 732 MW in 2015, increasing to 814 MW by 2024.
In contrast, grid-connected solar capacity went from 0 MW in 2015 to 63 MW in 2024, equating to a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in excess of 90%. The growth has been particularly pronounced from 2017 onwards, the researchers explained, thanks to the deregulation of solar project licencing and uptake in solar-based initiatives.
Meanwhile, the installed capacity of off-grid systems, which comprises mainly stand-alone solar systems and hybrid solar-diesel mini-grids, increased from 0.2 MW in 2015 to 27.1 MW in 2024. The research paper says this shift from hydropower to solar-powered energy sources fits patterns seen across Sub-Saharan Africa, where decentralisation is proving crucial in closing last-mile access gaps.
The research paper points out that the deployment of off-grid systems in Cameroon has been driven by private and donor-sponsored rural electrification initiatives and has been vital for expanding electrical access to remote villages and health facilities. Over the studied time period, rural electricity access in Cameroon increased from 17% to 27%, while the share of electrified health services increased from 25% to 62%.
Although less than 40% of off-grid systems currently run at full capacity due to maintenance and finance issues, a 2023 report from the country’s Ministry of Water Resources and Energy found that around 1.2 million people in Cameroon benefited from better electricity access thanks to off-grid initiatives introduced since 2017.
The research paper says these off-grid systems have given underserved villages access to mobile phone charges, adequate lighting and small economic activities, including preservation and tailoring. However, it notes that present projects remain scattered and sometimes lack the unified national framework required to give scalable, distributed energy models first priority. “Future energy policy has to clearly support decentralised solutions including mobile-money-enabled finance models, pay-as- you-go solar systems, and community-based microgrids,” the paper recommends.
To support the deployment of renewables in Cameroon, the paper says strengthening policy execution will be critical. It explains that the implementation of the country’s electricity sector regulation and rural electrification master-plan currently remains fragmented and recommends operationalising independent power producer licencing frameworks, developing standardised tariffs for mini-grids and enforcing rural electrification mandates to support accelerated uptake.
The researchers also highlighted that Cameroon remains heavily reliant on fossil fuel imports. As of 2022, only 4% of the country’s total energy consumption came from primary electricity, while 73% was derived from biomass. Cameroon has set a target of raising the share of renewables in its electricity mix to 25% by 2035.
Their findings are presented in the research paper Policy-driven expansion of renewable energy in Cameroon: A technical and sustainability-centered analysis of growth trends and cross-sectoral impacts (2015–2024), available in the journal Energy Strategy Reviews.
The research team consisted of academics based at Chennai’s Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences, Istanbul’s Beykent University, Egypt’s Alexandria University, Yuan Ze University in Taoyuan, Taiwan, the Imam Khomeini Naval Science University of Nowshahr in Nowshahr, Iran, the Guru Nanak Dev Engineering College in Ludhiana, India and China’s Hanshan Normal University, as well as the Applied Science Private University and Al-Ahliyya Amman University, both located in Amman, Jordan.
According to the Africa Solar Industry Association’s (AFSIA) project database, Cameroon currently has 70 MW of operational solar capacity, 14.1 MW of which is solar minigrids. The country has a further 30 MW of solar under construction
Author: Patrick Jowett
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
