The European Union recently committed over €1.16 billion to accelerate Africa’s energy transition and increase access to electricity across the continent. This significant funding was announced in two separate tranches within less than a month, highlighting the EU’s commitment to a long-term renewable energy partnership with African nations.
The first pledge of €545 million, unveiled in late September, targets electrification and grid modernization projects in nine countries, including vital infrastructure like a high-voltage line in Côte d’Ivoire. Following this, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced a second package of €618 million at the Global Gateway Forum, which will support eight additional countries, focusing on regional interconnections, transmission corridors, and energy storage systems.
This overall commitment is part of the established Africa-EU Green Energy Initiative (AEGEI) and aligns with the Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign, demonstrating an integrated strategy to address rural electrification and transmission development in a region where a vast majority of the global unelectrified population resides. However, it’s important to note that these figures are currently pledges, and the disbursement timeline and final implementation agreements with the partner countries have yet to be finalized.
