Renewables Staff Index grows by 5.7% in April

From the newsletter

The Renewables Rising Staff Index increased by 5.7% in April compared to March as the sector continues its expansion. Generally, the number of advertised jobs increased by 14%. Despite these new jobs, the overall total staff number remained unchanged at 1,554 for the ten companies analysed. Jinko Solar retained the top spot.

• Over five projects reached financial closure in the last month. Most of these companies, such as Scatec and Juwi, rolled out several advertisements to fill the open roles, though most are still open, and the hiring process is ongoing. We tracked over 189 roles across different companies.

• Scatec moved up in the ranking from third to second. The company hired five more staff in the last month.

More details

• The renewables sector has seen a hive of activity since the start of the year, with governments and the private sector alike focused on accelerating the energy transition and electrification efforts. In the last two months, over 355 jobs have been advertised across Africa. Roles have evolved from the common project managers and engineers to new positions such as battery energy storage system engineers, as investments in energy storage gain momentum.

• In our ranking, there were a few movements in April. Scatec moved to second and JA Solar dropped to third, but the rest of the positions remained unchanged. Scatec is expanding its operations across Africa. Earlier this year, it signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with Egypt Aluminium for a 1,100 MW solar project. It is also developing 100 MW in Tunisia and another 60 MW in Botswana, to mention a few.

• Mulilo Energy lost three members of staff. Distributed Power Africa lost eight, and some, like Amea Power, had staff numbers remain unchanged. However, the recent movements made by these companies could suggest they may return to hiring. Mulilo secured five battery storage projects and a 240 MW solar PV project in South Africa's latest bid windows in 2024. DPA last month signed a deal with Centum RE to build a 2 MW solar plant. Amea Power secured a deal to develop a 1,500 MWh battery storage system in Egypt.

• The sector in general has seen positive developments in funding. The World Bank and AfDB formed the Mission 300 initiative and have committed over $41 billion that will support the private sector. This is expected to open more hiring opportunities in the coming months, spread across the twelve selected countries, including three populous countries in Africa: Nigeria, Ethiopia, and the DR Congo.

Our take

• The sector's maturity and the growing investment in battery energy storage will create demand for new specialised roles. Battery storage engineers, as well as grid controllers, will be needed to plan and oversee the integration of renewables into the grid.

• The lack of sales staff hiring is a clear indication that the companies have built a more reliable reputation and a large customer base, and most projects are secured through referrals.

• The expected future job increase could bring competition for the best skills and talent. Companies need to structure the best deals, not just in salaries but also in extra packages, to retain their most experienced staff.