“It’s chaotic, but it’s a good kind of chaos.”

That is how Mark Howard, Editor at African Energy, describes the current liberalisation of the energy sector in our latest episode of The Energy Situation Room.

We’re moving away from the narrative of state monopolies and into an era of "positive disharmony" where regulators, utilities, and IPPs are pushing the industry forward.

What’s fuelling this optimism?

⚡ Mission 300: A $50 billion push to electrify 300 million people by the end of the decade11.

⚡ Grid Liberalisation: Private transmission procurement is finally materialising in South Africa, Kenya, and Mozambique.

⚡ Market Liquidity: New opportunities for merchant plants and cross-border trading via power pools.

If you want to know what 2026 has in store for the industry, this is a must-listen.

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"The lack of legacy infrastructure is an opportunity for Africa to develop the smartest grids in the world." - Marc Thiriet, Director of Wärtsilä Energy in Africa:

That's one of the key takeaways from the inaugural episode of the Energy Situation Room podcast proudly hosted by Wärtsilä Energy.

In this episode, Marc Thiriet, Director of Wärtsilä Energy in Africa, shares crucial insights from his discussions with industry leaders and experts across the continent as Africa is striving to close the 600 million person access gap while also managing a massive push for renewables.

We dive deep into the major challenges and solutions shaping Africa’s energy future and Marc shares his optimism, highlighting that financial institutions are starting to support gas/thermal projects that enable further renewable integration, and that national discussions are now taking place to simulate the smartest way to manage energy production for the next 20 - 30 years.

Listen now to get the full view of the energy situation in Africa and hear about the complex, hybrid solutions that are driving progress!

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