Background and interest in emerging markets:
Can you tell us about your background, the markets you’ve worked in the past, and your interest particularly in the renewable energy sector?
Throughout my career, I’ve worked across both mature and emerging markets, engaging in diverse and fascinating projects. I was deeply involved in the Balkans during Romania and Bulgaria’s EU accession, focusing on regional infrastructure in Bucharest. Post the 2008 financial crash, I was headhunted to lead strategic direction and evaluate multiple infrastructure projects for a European developer in India. India was a profound experience—diverse, challenging, and rewarding. It inspired me to pursue a global Masters in Management at the London School of Economics. I joined WElink in 2016, contributing to projects in the US, Portugal, South America, and now Africa. Every day at WElink is a learning experience. As a father of two, I’m deeply committed to the renewable energy sector, driven by the goal of a cleaner, greener future for the next generations. It’s fulfilling to be part of this transformative industry and contribute to the solution.
Market interest:
What makes the African market particularly attractive for WElink’s renewable energy initiatives?
Africa is at the start of its renewable energy journey. As financing becomes more widely available in specific markets within Africa, so too will the proliferation of utility-scale renewable (PV in particular) and BESS projects. For WElink, Africa, and more specifically certain markets within Africa and certain sectors within the renewable sphere, represents a growth platform that appeals to our “challenger” mentality. Having successfully worked in less-mature markets, Africa represents another exciting opportunity for WElink to make a meaningful and rewarding impact in rapidly-developing through the types of projects WE build.
Challenges:
What are the key challenges WElink faces in the African renewable energy sector, and how are you addressing them?
Progress in Africa is not linear, and it requires a certain type of resilience and perseverance to navigate through the numerous ups and downs. Each jurisdiction presents its own challenges, be it regulatory, political, financing, etc, and the challenge for WElink is to be aware of the full landscape within each target market and have robust risk-management and decision-making tools in our armoury to address the challenges and manage the downside.
Opportunities:
Can you elaborate on the unique opportunities you see in Africa for renewable energy development?
Africa is a blank canvas in many respects, and there are opportunities everywhere. The key is to pick the ones that one can deliver on. Within each jurisdiction there are energy-related opportunities, but also at the regional level where power pools such as SAPP and WAPP bring further opportunity. As the legal frameworks within Africa continue to develop, this brings opportunities for IPPs such as WElink to extend partnership opportunities beyond the public sector into the private domain. With many Big-Energy users in Africa making public commitments on reducing their carbon footprint, this opens the door for us to have conversations with them about “greenifying” their energy supply, and how this can bring energy security and price predictability to their operations. It’s amazing seeing the reaction from the private sector during those early conversations on the possibilities that our solutions can create for them. WE certainly see the sun shining on this sector (pun fully intended) for the next decade, and WElink sees itself as being a leader in this endeavour in Africa.
Financing solutions:
How is WElink approaching financing solutions for renewable energy projects in Africa, what have been your learnings and what strategies are proving most effective?
WE have seen a marked maturing of the project financing landscape in the past three years. The DFIs lead the way in many markets, but commercial banks are becoming more aggressive in financing projects that have a bankable off-take and are being developed by reputable promoters. Whilst every project has its own financing characteristics, a strong relationship with all stakeholders with firm clarity on project objectives remains a universal truth.
Current projects:
Can you share some details about the renewable energy projects WElink is currently working on in Africa?
WElink has a diverse set of projects on the go at the moment. Examples of these include our 93 MWp PV project in Mali, for which WE are in a financing process at present. WE are particularly excited about our Irrigation and Solar Innovation proposal to the Government in Benin. This project is stacked with (proven) innovation and will be a game-changer for this type of project in Africa. WE are also engaged with several large private companies throughout the continent on bringing PV+BESS solutions into their energy mix. As I said already, Africa really is a blank canvas for opportunities. The challenge is almost not to be distracted by them all.
Building belief in Africa:
What steps is your team taking to build confidence and belief in Africa’s potential for renewable energy among stakeholders and investors?
WElink specialises in creating complete solutions for our partners, be they our clients in Africa or our funding partners. The key for Africa is managing the downside risk, whether it be perceived or real. We put in risk mitigation measures at every point, and WE spend a lot of time communicating with our stakeholders to ensure that the upside and downside scenarios are properly understood.
Vision for Africa business unit:
What is your personal vision for the WElink Africa business unit, and how do you see it evolving over the next few years?
Our vision is to be a driver of the green energy revolution in Africa, and to do that strategically but leave room for opportunism at times. WElink prides itself on its nimbleness and its ability to react quickly. As Africa continues to develop, the Africa BU will continue to evolve to stay ahead of this. If WE smartly manage the many opportunities in Africa and continue to retain great people to enable us to make great decisions, the Africa Business Unit will flourish quickly to become a core part of the Group. We have some very interesting and exciting years ahead!!
