Fieldstone Africa launches investment index for renewable energy in Africa

Financial advisor Fieldstone Africa last week launched an investment index for renewable energy in Africa.

The ‘Fieldstone Africa Renewables Index (or FARI) is designed to assist investors, developers and financial institutions in comparing the relative merit of renewable efforts in different countries.

The index "takes into account real world experience as well as the legal, regulatory and technical basis to get things done," the independent financial advisor said in a statement.

FARI groups countries into three specific distinctions.

"The Big Five" will group states where an investment of time and capital in a renewable energy project might most readily be made today.

"Honourable Mentions" will bring together those that merit watching in the near-term for project opportunities and "Little Gems" groups smaller economies limited in the scale of potential projects that are nonetheless conducive to successful project development.

The inaugural FARI index ranks South Africa at the top of the Big Five category thanks to its sophisticated auction system but notes of possible ratings downgrade for the country as incumbent utility resistance and complications in closing already awarded projects are problems that might emerge.

Morocco, Uganda and Egypt round out the Big Five. The fifth spot has been left open in this edition of the index.

The "Honourable Mentions" brings together Algeria, Ethiopia, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Mali, Nigeria and Zambia. "Little Gems" are Djibouti, Guinea, Rwanda

The investment firm said that it will update the ranking every four months.

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