Egypt and Morocco anchor North Africa’s renewable build-out as regional capacity passes 15 GW

North Africa’s renewable energy system is becoming uneven. Egypt and Morocco are expanding capacity at scale. Neighbouring markets are moving more slowly. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the region reached 15,925 MW of installed renewable capacity in 2025. Most of that capacity sits inside two countries.

Egypt remains the region’s largest renewable market

Egypt’s installed renewable capacity reached 9,258 MW.

Its generation mix includes:

• 3,267 MW solar
• 3,028 MW wind
• 2,832 MW hydropower
• 131 MW bioenergy

Hydropower still anchors the system historically. Solar and wind now drive expansion. Egypt’s strategy depends on scaling utility-size projects connected to transmission corridors capable of supporting export potential.

Morocco leads in renewable penetration rather than scale

Morocco’s installed renewable capacity reached 4,851 MW.

Its mix includes:

• 2,452 MW wind
• 2,120 MW hydropower
• 1,086 MW solar
• 540 MW concentrated solar power

Morocco’s renewable share reached 39.6 percent of installed capacity. That is the highest in the region. Penetration level matters as much as total capacity. It determines how quickly fossil generation can be displaced.

Tunisia is expanding steadily but from a smaller base

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Tunisia’s renewable capacity reached 1,206 MW. Solar provides most of that growth. Wind continues to contribute at a smaller scale. Transmission expansion will determine whether the country accelerates further. Without grid reinforcement, capacity additions remain limited.

Algeria and Libya remain early in their transition timelines

Algeria’s renewable capacity reached 601 MW. Libya stands at 9 MW. Both systems remain dominated by fossil generation. Future progress depends less on technology deployment and more on regulatory direction and investment certainty.

Solar remains the dominant technology across the region

Solar leads capacity additions in all five North African markets. Wind expansion remains concentrated in Egypt and Morocco. Concentrated solar power remains largely a Moroccan deployment story through the Noor complex. Technology choice reflects geography. But it also reflects financing structures and grid readiness.

What this means for regional power trade

Renewable capacity concentration inside Egypt and Morocco creates the foundation for future cross-border electricity exchange. North Africa’s transition will not move evenly country by country. It will move through anchor markets first. Those anchor markets shape regional transmission planning.

They also shape investor expectations across neighbouring systems. The next phase of the transition depends on whether Tunisia accelerates and whether Algeria opens space for private renewable investment. That decision will determine whether the region becomes an interconnected renewable corridor or a collection of isolated national transitions.