Closing the loop on energy access in Africa

Widening access to clean, reliable electricity is one of the greatest challenges to sustainable development in Africa. Energy storage, particularly batteries, will be critical in supporting Africa's progress to full energy access by 2030, enabling off-grid and on-grid electrification. But the increasing demand for batteries also brings challenges, due to the growing stream of decommissioned batteries. This report aims to advance the Global Battery Alliance's 2030 vision to provide 600 million people with access to electricity via battery deployment. The World Economic Forum, in collaboration with the GBA, the Energy Storage Partnership and the Faraday Institution, supported by the African Circular Economy Alliance, seeks to support energy access outcomes through the sustainable scale-up of batteries in sub-Saharan Africa and mobilize actions to reduce the gap between those with and without electricity by 70%. This report aims to advance the Global Battery Alliance's 2030 vision to provide 600 million people with access to electricity via battery deployment.