Energy in Madagascar: the Difficult Transition to a More Sustainable Mix
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Madagascar is the fifth-largest island in the world, located in the Indian Ocean, a few hundred kilometers off the African continent. Stretching over 1,500 km from north to south, it covers an area larger than France and Belgium combined, with a population of 32.7 million in 2025 that is growing twice as fast as the global average. Madagascar: a vast, diverse territory vulnerable to .
© GREGOIRE POURTIER / AFP - Réunion Island is leveraging its wealth of sunlight to develop photovoltaic solar power, even though its geography does not lend itself to large-scale parks.
Crossed by the Tropic of Capricorn, Madagascar experiences very different climates, ranging from a tropical monsoon system in the northwest to an almost desert-like situation in the southern tip, which is the poorest part of the island. The landscapes are extremely diverse, ranging from coastal plains to the central highlands—the “highlands”—which are between 1,000 and 1,500 meters above sea level and account for 70% of the country's surface area. This variety gives Madagascar exceptional biological diversity. However, this is threatened by deforestation due to slash-and-burn agriculture and production, an essential resource in the country's vast rural areas. Slash-and-burn agriculture is an agrarian system in which fields are cleared by fire and cultivated for a short period before being left fallow.
Furthermore, even though the movement has been halted, the country's land has been among the most coveted by foreign investors, particularly Indian and Korean investors, in search of agricultural space. Like most African and Asian countries, Madagascar is experiencing a very strong rural exodus, which is causing uncontrolled expansion of large urban areas.
Madagascar's Fragile Economy Faces Climate and Social Crises
Madagascar is one of the ten poorest countries in the world, where 80% of the population earns less than $2 per day. It is also one of the countries most threatened by climate change and experienced in 2015 and 2016 the worst droughts in 35 years, due in particular to the El Niño phenomenon. This phenomenon is a reversal of the trade winds in the South Pacific Ocean, which alters the circulation of ocean currents and causes numerous climatic disturbances. Madagascar also regularly experiences extreme weather events, such as Cyclone Enawo in April 2017. Despite these challenges, the economy, with the support of international aid, has a strong capacity for resilience.
Limited and Unevenly Distributed Energy Infrastructure
Final consumption depends on for about 80%, mainly wood and charcoal, used for heating and cooking. Petroleum products, almost all of which are imported, account for 17% of the and are used mainly for transportation. accounts for only 2.4%.
The difficulties of connecting ports to the highlands make distribution challenging. It takes seven hours by road to travel from the major port of Toamasina (Tamatave in French) to the capital Antananarivo, in the center of the island. The oil port of Antsiranana (Diego Suarez) is located in the far north of the island and that of Mahajanga (Majunga) on the west coast. However, activity is concentrated in the highlands, with the capital alone accounting for half of consumption, even though it represents only 10% of the population.
Electrification: A Major Challenge for Madagascar's Development
The electrification rate is rising rapidly (20% in 2018 compared to 40% in 2023) but remains one of the lowest in sub-Saharan Africa. Less than 40% of the population has access to electricity, according to the World Bank estimates. This rate drops to 5% in some rural areas, which are plunged into darkness as soon as night falls.
The country's total electricity capacity in 2023 is estimated at less than 870 MW. The remaining third is provided by a dozen dilapidated and often poorly maintained hydroelectric dams. The other half is provided by around 100 small, low-efficiency thermal units running on . Electricity distribution is very unreliable, with small local networks that are poorly connected to each other.
Energy Transition Projects
An initial plan to make the energy system more sustainable was drawn up in 2015. Since September 2025, the new military government has reaffirmed its commitment to embarking Madagascar on a genuine , notably by seeking support from the United Arab Emirates. The aim is to gradually replace the many small thermal plants with hybrid and renewable solutions, with priority given to solar energy.
At the same time, a large hydroelectric power plant is being developed in Sahofika, on the Onive River. This project should help to boost the country's production capacity, which is still largely dependent on .
Madagascar also has significant mineral resources—nickel, cobalt, chromium, titanium, and heavy metals—but the development of these industries remains hampered by low global prices. As for its subsoil and vast maritime zone, they are believed to contain sedimentary basins favorable to oil and gas deposits. However, these fossil resources remain unexploited to date due to a lack of sufficient investment and stable development conditions.
- After Australia (island continent), Greenland, New Guinea, and Borneo.
- Slash-and-burn agriculture is an agrarian system in which fields are cleared by fire and cultivated for a short period before being left fallow.
- World Bank
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