UK-backed clean energy projects to power hospitals, businesses across Africa

By Ojoma Akor

Nairobi/London, October 7, 2026 — Hospitals, telecommunications networks, food businesses and fishing communities across Africa will benefit from a new wave of clean energy projects designed to reduce reliance on diesel generators and improve access to reliable electricity.

The projects, spanning eight African countries, are backed by the UK Government through the Ayrton Fund and the Transforming Energy Access (TEA) platform and will receive more than £2 million in investment to scale renewable energy technologies already tested through earlier innovation programs.

The initiative, announced by ZE-Gen, will support 10 projects deploying clean energy solutions in sectors where unreliable electricity can have significant consequences, including healthcare, food production, telecommunications and small businesses.

In many parts of Africa, health facilities and businesses continue to rely heavily on diesel generators because of unreliable grid electricity. The new projects are expected to demonstrate how renewable energy and energy storage can provide more reliable alternatives while reducing dependence on fossil fuels.

The projects include clean energy systems for hospitals in Kenya, battery-powered telecommunications infrastructure in Uganda, renewable energy systems for fishing and cold-chain facilities in Mozambique, and solar-powered food storage and processing facilities in Nigeria.

Other projects will support community electrification in Madagascar and develop clean energy solutions for small businesses across East Africa.

Clean energy for healthcare

SHIELD, a University of Oxford spin-out, is leading a project with a direct healthcare focus to help hospitals in Kenya transition away from diesel-powered electricity generation.

Reliable electricity is critical for healthcare facilities, powering essential services including medical equipment, refrigeration, lighting, laboratories, information systems and operating theatres. Interruptions to electricity supply can therefore affect healthcare delivery and quality.

The portfolio also includes AceOn, a battery technology company based in Telford, UK, which is deploying sodium-ion energy storage systems for telecommunications infrastructure in Uganda.

In Mozambique, Gommyr is developing renewable-powered infrastructure for fishing communities, including systems designed to support cold-chain facilities. Reliable cold storage can reduce post-harvest losses and improve fishing communities’ ability to preserve and market their products.

In Nigeria, another project will deploy solar energy to support food storage and processing, potentially helping businesses cut energy costs while improving operational reliability.

From pilots to wider deployment

The latest funding builds on several years of UK-backed innovation programs, including ZE-Gen, the Energy Catalyst, and Powering Renewable Energy Opportunities.

According to ZE-Gen, the companies selected for the latest portfolio have already demonstrated promising technologies or approaches through earlier innovation support. They are now being helped to move from pilot projects towards larger-scale deployment.

Lily Beadle, Program Director at ZE-Gen, said the projects demonstrate how clean energy can support essential services and businesses across Africa.

“These ZE-Gen supported projects show how clean energy can power the services and businesses people rely on every day — from hospitals and telecommunications networks to food systems and local enterprises.”

She said the next challenge was to scale technologies that had already shown promise.

“Through the ZE-Gen Scale-up Fund, we are helping innovative companies move from pilot projects to larger-scale deployment, creating new opportunities for investment while delivering cleaner, more reliable and affordable energy where it is needed most.”

The projects are expected to provide further evidence of how renewable energy, energy storage and other clean technologies can strengthen essential services and local economies, particularly in communities that remain underserved by national electricity grids.

The initiative is part of wider efforts to accelerate access to clean, reliable energy in developing countries while supporting the transition away from fossil-fuel-based power.