The establishment of Africa’s largest distributed renewable energy provider has taken a significant step forward as Kenyan regulators have approved Ignite Power’s acquisition of ENGIE Energy Access. This deal, valued at an undisclosed amount, underscores the intensifying competition to electrify the continent. The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has granted approval for the merger, allowing Ignite Power, based in Abu Dhabi, to absorb the distributed renewable energy (DRE) arm of the French energy giant ENGIE Energy Access (EEA).
The newly formed entity will be named Ignite Energy Access and is expected to provide energy solutions to over 15 million people across 14 African nations. This merger combines the operational strengths and shared vision of two major players in the rapidly growing DRE market, where companies deploy solar and battery technologies, often integrated with mobile payment systems, to reach communities that lack access to traditional electricity grids.
