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The European Commission (EC) has launched a substantial €545-million Team Europe package to accelerate Africa’s transition to clean energy, aligning with the continent’s ambitious development goals and global climate targets.
The funding was announced by EC President Ursula von der Leyen as part of the ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, co-hosted with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa. The initiative, framed by the EU’s Global Gateway investment plan, aims to mobilize significant public and private investment for clean energy generation and access across the continent.
“The choices Africa makes today are shaping the future of the entire world,” Von der Leyen said. “A clean energy transition on the continent will create jobs, stability, growth and the delivery of our global climate goals.”
The EC highlighted that despite Africa’s enormous renewable energy potential, nearly 600 million people remain without access to electricity. Investing in solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal energy is projected to create up to 38 million green jobs by 2030.
The €545-million package will fund projects across multiple nations, focusing on electrification, grid modernization, and improved renewable energy access.
Key allocations include:
- Côte d’Ivoire: €359.4 million for a high-voltage transmission line.
- Cameroon: €59.1 million for rural electrification across 687 communities.
- Lesotho: €25.9 million for wind and hydro development.
- Madagascar: €33.2 million to expand rural minigrids.
- Somalia: €45.5 million to improve renewable energy access and climate-resilient systems.
The ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, which also involves Global Citizen and the International Energy Agency, will culminate in a high-level event during the G20 summit in South Africa. The effort is designed to build momentum from the upcoming Global Gateway Forum in Brussels and reinforce the broader international goals established at COP28, particularly tripling renewable-energy capacity worldwide.
