European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a €545 million funding package under the Team Europe initiative to accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition. The announcement was made via video message at the Global Citizen Festival, held in conjunction with the United Nations General Assembly, as part of the ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, co-hosted with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
“The choices Africa makes today are shaping the future of the entire world. A clean energy transition on the continent will create jobs, stability, growth, and help achieve global climate goals,” von der Leyen said. She emphasised that the EU, through its Global Gateway investment plan, is committed to supporting Africa on its path to clean energy.
Despite Africa’s vast renewable energy potential, nearly 600 million people still lack access to electricity. The EU’s investment aims to expand generation capacity and modernise transmission infrastructure, supporting solar, wind, hydro, and geothermal projects across the continent.
Key projects in the new package include:
- Côte d’Ivoire (€359.4 million): Construction of a high-voltage transmission line to strengthen regional energy distribution.
- Cameroon (€59.1 million): Rural electrification reaching 687 communities and over 2.5 million people.
- Lesotho (€25.9 million): Development of wind and hydro power under the Renewable Lesotho programme.
- Republic of Congo (€3.5 million): Expanding access to solar, wind, and hydropower.
- Central Africa (€3.3 million): Technical assistance and feasibility studies for the Central African Power Pool and cross-border transmission lines.
- Madagascar (€33.2 million), Mozambique (€13 million), Somalia (€45.5 million), Ghana (€2 million): Initiatives to expand rural electrification, low-emission energy, and regional renewable energy trade.
The campaign, carried out in partnership with Global Citizen and supported by the International Energy Agency, seeks to mobilise governments, financial institutions, and private sector actors to finance and implement clean energy projects. It will culminate with a high-level meeting at the G20 Summit in South Africa in November 2025, following preparatory events including the Global Gateway Forum in Brussels.
