European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has announced a €545-million Team Europe package to support Africa's transition to clean energy.

The announcement was made by means of a video message at the Global Citizen Festival in the context of the UN General Assembly and is part of the European Commission’s ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign, which is co-hosted with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.

According to the European Commission, the campaign aims to raise global awareness and mobilise both public and private investments for clean energy generation and access across Africa.

“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. The EU, with the Global Gateway investment plan, is fully committed to supporting Africa on its clean energy path,” Von der Leyen said on September 27.

The European Commission highlighted Africa’s significant renewable-energy potential, while also pointing out that nearly 600-million people on the continent remained without access to electricity. It emphasised that the trajectory of Africa’s clean energy transition would influence development, regional stability and progress on climate change.

The commission also projected that investments in solar, wind, hydro and geothermal energy could create up to 38-million green jobs by 2030, while strengthening energy system resilience.

The €545-million package is intended to expand Team Europe’s efforts in Africa, funding projects to support electrification, modernise power grids and improve access to renewable energy.

The European Commission listed specific projects under the package, including a €359.4-million high-voltage transmission line in Côte d’Ivoire; €59.1-million for rural electrification in Cameroon, reaching 687 communities; €3.5-million for expanding renewable-energy access in Congo-Brazzaville; and €25.9-million for wind and hydro development in Lesotho.

Other allocations include €2-million for a solar park project in Ghana; €3.3-million in Central Africa for technical assistance, research facilities and a feasibility study for cross-border transmission; €33.2-million in Madagascar to expand rural minigrids; €13-million in Mozambique to support a low-emission energy transition; and €45.5-million in Somalia to improve renewable energy access and climate-resilient systems.

The ‘Scaling Up Renewables in Africa’ campaign is conducted with the international advocacy organisation Global Citizen and receives policy support from the International Energy Agency.

The campaign encourages governments, financial institutions, private sector actors and philanthropists to pledge capital, technical expertise and other forms of support. It is scheduled to culminate with a high-level event during the G20 summit in South Africa on November 22 and 23.

The European Commission said the campaign contributed to the broader international goals established at COP28, including tripling renewable-energy capacity and doubling energy efficiency worldwide.

The commission also plans to convene the Global Gateway Forum, in Brussels, in early October, bringing together governments, financial institutions and private sector leaders to strengthen support for Africa’s clean energy transition, a momentum expected to continue at the G20 Summit, in Johannesburg, where commitments to partnerships and financing will be further reinforced.