Turning the Lights On Unlocking Circular Value Chains for Africa’s Renewable Energy Transition 2026

Africa faces persistent energy access challenges alongside rapid urbanisation, climate change and growing resource pressures. As countries expand renewable energy to improve energy security and meet Paris Agreement commitments, the transition presents significant opportunities for sustainable development, industrialisation, job creation and improved livelihoods, in line with Agenda 2063 and the AfCFTA. However, the rapid deployment of renewable energy technologies is also creating new resource and end-of-life challenges. Solar panels, batteries, wind turbines and related infrastructure require significant quantities of critical minerals and materials, while Africa captures relatively limited value from these resources. At the same time, growing volumes of end-of-life equipment, including solar panels, batteries, inverters and turbine components, will require effective management and create opportunities for recovery and reuse. A circular economy approach can help address these challenges by promoting durable and repairable design, extending product lifetimes through reuse and refurbishment, recovering materials through recycling, and strengthening reverse logistics. These approaches can reduce reliance on virgin materials, lower lifecycle costs and environmental impacts, while supporting local manufacturing, green jobs, innovation and resilient regional value chains. Emerging circular business models, including the use of second-life EV batteries in renewable energy systems, demonstrate the potential to combine energy access with resource efficiency and local economic development. However, adoption remains constrained by gaps in policy and regulation, limited manufacturing and recycling capacity, fragmented value chains, skills shortages and inadequate access to finance. The high-level policy conference focused on implementation, governance and investment, bringing together governments, industry, academia and development partners to identify practical solutions for embedding circularity across renewable energy value chains. The conference promotes policy dialogue, showcase scalable approaches, strengthen partnerships and generate actionable recommendations to accelerate Africa’s transition towards resilient, resource efficient and inclusive renewable energy systems. The conference aims to advance a coordinated Pan-African policy dialogue on how circular economy principles can strengthen Africa’s renewable energy transition through harmonised standards, circular value chains, scalable financing mechanisms and practical implementation pathways.