CHANGSHA, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- For 26-year-old Green, an orphan born unable to speak in remote northwestern Zambia, a new solar project job has put steady food on the table and left him a little extra cash.
Green lives in Jifumpa Village, beside the Ruida Mine. Formal work is scarce there. He once scraped by helping neighbors harvest corn and taking casual odd jobs, with no reliable income.
That changed in October 2024, when Chinese firm SANY Microgrid began building a solar-plus-storage facility nearby. Green was hired to clear land, haul materials and carry out other basic tasks. He often signals his thanks to his Chinese co-workers with smiles and hand gestures.
The site combines solar panels, battery storage and diesel generators. It delivers consistent power to the mine while trimming fossil fuel reliance.
"Beyond building power facilities, energy projects in many remote parts of Africa can also create opportunities for local disadvantaged groups to improve their lives through work," said Guo Ruiguang, chairman of SANY Microgrid.
The company now runs microgrid work across Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia and other African nations. It has developed more than 60 installations for industrial parks, ports and other sites.
A June 2026 report from U.N. agencies estimates roughly 655 million people worldwide still lack access to electricity, including more than 560 million in sub-Saharan Africa.
For communities receiving their first dependable electricity supply, this green energy partnership carries wide-ranging impact.
Chen Jiequn, chairman of Chinese company Leiming Technology, still recalls one family's reaction when workers fitted a solar system to their home in rural West Africa: five children stared wide-eyed at bulbs hanging from the rafters, as light flooded their thatched hut for the first time.
Since 2016, backed by the World Bank and the United Nations Development Programme, the firm has rolled out off-grid solar schemes across Africa, bringing power to about 13 million people.
"Seeing lights dispel the darkness gives us a strong sense of fulfillment, when our products are used in local homes, schools, and hospitals," Chen said.
China-Africa green energy ties have moved beyond simple equipment sales into workforce training.
In Nigeria's Bayelsa State, Hunan Red Solar New Energy Science and Technology Co., Ltd. reworked corrosion-resistant solar hardware and materials to withstand the region's hot, humid, rainy conditions. It trains local staff to run and maintain solar and battery systems and has built up a domestic team for warehousing, technical support and after-sales care.
The effort aligns with the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan (2025-2027). The document urges broader renewable energy cooperation covering solar, wind, hydropower, geothermal and green hydrogen, plus more skills exchanges and training for African professionals, entrepreneurs and community members.
China-backed schemes are turning the plan into realities. In Mali, China Geo-Engineering Corporation's solar demonstration village project has installed more than 1,000 solar power facilities, reaching more than 10,000 residents. At Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, solar power enables a small cinema that broadcasts football matches.
According to figures released during the China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo in 2025, since the start of China's 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-2025), Chinese power companies had invested a cumulative 272 million U.S. dollars in Africa's power sector. Over the same period, China had carried out about 80 solar, wind and hydropower projects in 28 African countries, including Nigeria, Zambia, Egypt and Ethiopia.
"China-Africa green energy cooperation has not only supported Africa's industrialization but also addressed the everyday needs of ordinary people," said Xiao Hao, executive dean of the Institute of African Studies at Hunan University. ■
