Country snapshot · Central Africa
Republic of the Congo
Solar added each year
Ember estimates of all solar (utility-scale, distributed and off-grid), MW. 2026 is Ember’s full-year estimate.
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| Year | MW | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 0.9 | Ember estimate |
| 2024 | 6.9 | Ember estimate |
| 2025 | 8.3 | Ember estimate |
| 2026E | 16.3 | Ember estimate, full year |
0.1% of Africa’s estimated 2026 solar additions (16.3 of 17,449.4 MW).1
Who has electricity
Share of people with access to electricity, 2024: rural and urban.
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| Area | Access | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Rural | 19.4% | 2024 |
| Urban | 72.0% | 2024 |
| National | 53.0% | 2024 |
World Bank WDI, 2024.2
How reliable is the grid for business?
Firms experiencing electrical outages (2024 survey), compared with Sub-Saharan Africa and the world.3,4N5
77.1% (2024 survey) · Sub-Saharan Africa 72.4% · World 47.5% (2025)
The rules for small-scale generationN6
Export rules: None found
- Regulator
- ARSEL (Congo)
- Main utility
- E2C (Énergie Électrique du Congo)
Export rulesNone found. Decree 2017-249 regulates self-generation for own use; no surplus-sale article found.5Medium confidenceShow detail
None found. Autoproduction Decree 2017-249 regulates self-generation for own needs; fetched text shows no surplus-sale/injection article (only a network-access contract)
How exports are creditedNone foundShow detail
None found
Size limits and licensingSelf-generation free up to 100 kW; declaration 100–250 kW; authorisation 250 kW–5 MW.5High confidenceShow detail
Autoproduction free ≤100 kW; prior declaration >100–250 kW; administrative authorisation >250 kW–5 MW
Mini-grid rulesNone dedicated; rural electrification decree (2017).5Medium confidenceShow detail
None dedicated found; Decree 2017-250 on rural electrification; ANER granted rural production/distribution/sale authorisation (Arrêté 17544, 9 Aug 2024)
Market access beyond the utilityIPP decree (2017); compact: all new generation via IPPs.5Medium confidenceShow detail
IPP decree 2017-248; direct-sale authorisation granted to Centrale Électrique du Congo (Arrêté 12545, 6 Oct 2023 — title seen in search only); grid codes Decree 2021-672 (title only); compact: 100% of new generation via IPPs
Aggregation / VPP rulesNone foundShow detail
None found
“None found” means we could not locate a rule in public sources reviewed to 10 October 2026, not that one cannot exist.
Recent developments
Dated developments, 2024–2026.
- Jan 2025
Mission 300 compact; tariffs unchanged since 1994.5
The full report
This is a snapshot. The full story is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
The full analysis, with 17 exhibits on the boom, the data gap, the economics and the four building blocks, is in Africa’s Invisible Grid.
