China is accelerating a major shift in its African investment strategy, moving away from large-scale coal financing toward renewable energy development under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with plans to launch 30 clean energy projects across the continent following commitments made at the 2024 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit in Beijing.
The transition signals a significant evolution in China’s engagement with Africa’s energy sector, as Beijing increasingly positions itself as a key partner in the continent’s green industrialisation and sustainable development agenda.
For more than a decade, China financed major infrastructure and fossil fuel projects across Africa under the BRI framework, including coal-fired power plants, railways and highways. However, recent policy shifts and climate commitments are driving a new emphasis on solar, wind, hydropower and green industrial projects.
At the 2024 FOCAC summit, Chinese leaders unveiled a fresh package of green development initiatives, including support for 30 clean energy projects aimed at improving electricity access, boosting industrial capacity and reducing dependence on fossil fuels across African economies. Analysts say the projects are expected to include solar parks, transmission infrastructure, wind farms and green manufacturing initiatives.
The policy direction aligns with China’s broader pledge to stop financing new overseas coal-fired power plants, first announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2021. Since then, Chinese overseas energy financing has increasingly focused on low-carbon and “small and beautiful” projects that prioritize environmental and social benefits.
Experts believe the shift could reshape Africa’s energy landscape at a time when many countries are seeking alternatives to costly fossil fuel imports and struggling with inadequate electricity supply. Africa possesses some of the world’s largest untapped renewable energy resources, including solar, wind and hydropower potential, but investment gaps and infrastructure shortages have slowed development.
Research groups monitoring Chinese overseas finance say renewable energy financing in Africa has rebounded after a temporary slowdown during the COVID-19 period, reflecting Beijing’s growing focus on green development partnerships and climate diplomacy.
The move is also seen as part of China’s effort to modernize the BRI by emphasizing sustainability, industrial cooperation and long-term economic integration rather than debt-heavy megaprojects. Recent BRI strategies increasingly promote green finance, local industrialization and technology transfer in developing economies.
African policymakers have largely welcomed the renewed focus on renewable energy, arguing that expanded cooperation with China could accelerate electrification, manufacturing growth and climate resilience across the continent.
Observers say the success of the initiative will depend on how quickly projects are implemented, the level of local participation and whether financing structures remain sustainable for African economies already facing debt pressures.
