Rising Demand For Owner’s Engineer Services Drives Smarter Renewable Energy Project Development Across Africa

Renewable energy consultant SgurrEnergy has reported a strong rise in demand for “owner’s engineer” services across several African countries as renewable energy development accelerates across the continent. According to the company, project developers are increasingly adopting more cost-effective and technically focused project delivery models instead of relying entirely on traditional turnkey contracts.

In the past, many renewable energy projects were executed through Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contracts where a single contractor handled the entire project. However, developers are now reconsidering this model due to the rising cost of EPC services in various African markets. In several regions, EPC costs are estimated to be around 15 to 20 percent higher than global averages. These higher costs are often caused by logistical challenges, limited technical oversight, and the shortage of specialized local expertise.

To address this issue, developers are increasingly hiring independent owner’s engineers. These experts provide technical supervision and advisory services throughout the project lifecycle. By working with an owner’s engineer, developers can separate or “unbundle” EPC contracts and manage certain parts of the project independently. This allows them to directly procure equipment and hire local contractors for civil and electrical work.

This approach not only helps reduce overall capital expenditure but also strengthens local participation in renewable energy projects. By involving domestic contractors and engineers, projects create opportunities for knowledge sharing and skill development within the local workforce. As a result, the renewable energy sector in Africa is gradually building stronger technical capacity at the regional level.

SgurrEnergy has extensive experience supporting renewable energy projects across the continent. The company has contributed to the development of more than 6 GW of renewable energy capacity in countries such as Angola, Ghana, South Africa, and Kenya. Based on this experience, the firm emphasizes that Africa’s environmental and grid conditions require careful technical planning from the earliest stages of project development.

Many regions in Africa face challenging operating environments, including high temperatures, heavy dust conditions, and relatively weak grid infrastructure. Without proper engineering design and independent oversight, solar and renewable projects may struggle to achieve expected performance levels. This can also affect project financing, as international lenders require strong technical standards and reliability to ensure that projects meet strict bankability requirements.

The increasing complexity of renewable energy systems is also contributing to the growing need for owner’s engineer services. Developers are now focusing more on hybrid energy solutions, particularly solar power plants combined with battery energy storage systems (BESS). These systems require advanced modeling, integration, and system optimization to ensure stable and reliable operation.

Several African countries, including Zambia and Senegal, are already introducing large-scale energy storage tenders. In such projects, owner’s engineers play an important role in ensuring proper technical design, system integration, and performance monitoring.

Overall, the increasing demand for owner’s engineer services reflects the growing maturity of Africa’s renewable energy market. Developers are not only focusing on adding new generation capacity but are also prioritizing long-term reliability, strong technical standards, and efficient project delivery to support the continent’s clean energy transition.