EU pledges nearly $638M for Africa’s renewable energy transition

By Mevlut Ozkan

ISTANBUL (AA) -The European Union has pledged nearly €545 million (about $638 million) to support renewable energy projects across Africa, aiming to boost electricity access, strengthen regional power grids, and accelerate the continent’s transition to clean energy.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced the package via video message at the Global Citizen Festival, held alongside the UN General Assembly, the Commission said in a statement on Saturday.

“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,” von der Leyen said.

The statement said Africa has vast renewable energy potential, but nearly 600 million people still lack electricity, and the continent’s clean energy transition will play a key role in development, regional stability, and climate progress.

The package will fund projects in the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Lesotho, Ghana, the Central African Republic, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Somalia.