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In the most recent episode of CNN’s Connecting Africa, Eleni Giokos speaks to AMEA Power CEO Hussain Al Nowais about the company’s clean energy projects and renewable ambitions.

Under their current investments, the Dubai based renewable energy company AMEA Power, has produced enough clean energy to power nearly 700,000 households across the African continent. Al Nowais tells Giokos, "Africa is in desperate need of more power, but they also have good resources. If you want to pursue renewable power opportunities, Africa has good wind resource, good solar resources. The challenge they have is the bureaucratic process. The availability of finance is not there. And the transmission, the grid is poor and weak in Africa."

Al Nowais continues on whether he thinks that storing renewable energy could be part of the solution to provide the continent with gigawatts of power, "AMEA Power are moving very fast along the development of battery storage. Battery storage is a good system. You can prolong the number of hours from the renewable power by storing it in batteries and releasing it when the sun is down […]. You are prolonging the number of hours you get from renewable. On the other hand, it’s also stabilising the grid."

He delves into the need to focus on electricity before the boom of industrialisation, "You need to invest in that sector so they’re able to generate income from their mining, from their natural resources which they can spend in their education and healthcare and on the humans."

He ends with his thoughts on when full electrification is going to be seen on the African continent, "I think it will take some time, not in my lifetime, but I think I met a lot of African leaders and I saw determination to deliver. Some will be faster than the others. But I think they have the intention. The goodwill is there. They have limited resources. They need the support from many countries."