The European Commission unveiled a €545 million package to expand renewable energy and electrification across Africa
Multiple countries, including Cameroon, Ghana, Madagascar, and Somalia, will benefit from rural electrification, solar parks, and mini-grid projects
The initiative aligns with global campaigns such as Scaling Up Renewables in Africa and Mission 300 to improve energy access and cut emissions
The European Commission has announced a €545 million ($639 million) package to accelerate Africa’s clean energy transition. Launched during the Global Citizen Festival on September 27, 2025, the initiative will fund electrification, grid upgrades, and renewable projects across multiple African nations.
Among the projects announced for this package, the Republic of the Congo will get €3.5 million ($4.1 million) to help the country expand access to renewable sources, including solar, wind, and hydropower. Ghana gets €2 million ($2.3 million) from the package to lay the groundwork for a large-scale solar park and regional energy trade.
Cameroon will receive €59.1 million ($69 million) for the rural electrification of 687 communities. This will enable energy access for more than 2.5 million people. Madagascar, too, will get €33.2 million ($39 million) to expand electrification with mini-grids in rural areas. Somalia will use €45.5 million ($53 million) from the package to increase access to affordable renewable energy, advance circular economy practices, and build climate-resilient agri-food systems.
“Renewable energy is one of the main focus areas under Global Gateway. From rural electrification in Cameroon to large scale solar park in Ghana or hydro energy in Lesotho. This package will help to bring electricity to millions of people in Africa,” said European Commission’s Commissioner for International Partnerships, Jozef Síkela.
An estimated 600 million people in Africa still live without any access to electricity, mostly in Sub-Saharan Africa. Although the continent has 60% of the world’s best solar resources, it has so far installed only 70.8 GW of renewable energy capacity and attracts only 3% of the global energy investments, according to the commission.
The package is part of the year-long Scaling Up Renewables in Africa campaign launched by the commission and South Africa, with international advocacy organization Global Citizen, to mobilize public and private investments to accelerate renewable energy projects in Africa. The purpose is to improve access to affordable energy and help cut global emissions.
This campaign is aligned with the World Bank’s Mission 300 or M300. It is a partnership between the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank (AfDB) to connect 300 million people to electricity across Africa by 2030.
“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 the delivery of our global climate goals,” added European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
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