European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a €545 million Team Europe package to accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition. Unveiled via video message at the Global Citizen Festival during the United Nations General Assembly, the funding supports the ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, co-hosted with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, which aims to raise awareness and mobilize public and private investments for clean energy generation and access across the continent.
President von der Leyen emphasized that Africa’s energy choices are critical for global development, climate goals, and regional stability. The EU, through its Global Gateway investment plan, is committed to supporting Africa in harnessing its renewable energy potential, which includes solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal power. Nearly 600 million people in Africa still lack access to electricity, making the clean energy transition both a strategic and humanitarian imperative that can create up to 38 million green jobs by 2030 while strengthening resilient energy systems and supply chains.
The €545 million package will expand Team Europe’s efforts across Africa, funding projects to improve electrification, modernize power grids, and increase access to renewable energy. Key initiatives include Côte d’Ivoire’s high-voltage transmission line to enhance regional energy distribution, Cameroon’s rural electrification program reaching over 2.5 million people, Lesotho’s Renewable Lesotho program focusing on wind and hydro energy, Madagascar’s mini-grid expansion in rural areas, and Somalia’s renewable energy access and climate-resilient agri-food initiatives. Additional support is provided to the Central African Power Pool through technical assistance, research funding, and feasibility studies for cross-border transmission lines.
The ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, conducted with Global Citizen and supported by the International Energy Agency, seeks to secure policy commitments and financial contributions from governments, financial institutions, the private sector, and philanthropists. The campaign will culminate with a high-level event around the G20 summit in South Africa in November 2025 and is aligned with the broader global targets of tripling renewable energy and doubling energy efficiency as outlined at COP28.
In October, the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels will convene stakeholders from governments, financial institutions, and the private sector to further support Africa’s clean energy transition. This initiative, combined with upcoming G20 commitments, aims to drive the partnerships and financing necessary to advance renewable energy deployment across the continent.
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