… Namibia not part of this round
TIRI MASAWI
The European Commission has announced a N$12.36 billion ( (618 million Euros) package to fast-track Africa’s shift toward renewable energy.
However, Namibia does not feature in the latest Global Gateway Funding package as it already has projects that are running.
The newly announced funding will support projects across several African countries including Kenya receiving N$1.1 billion (55 million Euros) for the expansion of the green electricity system.
The East African country will also use the funds to strengthen generation and transmission for households and businesses.
Uganda will receive about N$1.2 billion (60 million Euros) to deliver power to rural communities, benefiting over 250,000 people, white the Democratic Republic of Congo will get N$1.8 billion ( 90.14 million Euros).
The money will be used for the electrification of Kisangani and surrounding regions to improve reliability and stimulate local economic growth, the European Commission said.
Mauritania will receive N$2.5 billion (125 million Euros) for the development of a regional transmission corridor to serve growing urban populations, and Nigeria will get N$400 million (20 million Euros) for technical assistance in scaling renewable energy solutions for farmers and small enterprises.
Cabo Verde will receive N$780 million (39 million Euros ) for the expansion of the Cabeolica wind and battery storage project, Zambia and Tanzania received about N$600 million (30 million Euros ) for strengthening regional power exchange and drought resilience between Southern and Eastern Africa.
Togo will receive about N$3.9 billion ( 199 million Euros ) for a renewable energy and storage project in Kpalimé to boost generation capacity and reliability.
“Africa has everything it needs to become a global leader in clean energy — vision, talent, and abundant natural resources. With this €618 million Team Europe package, we are joining with our African partners to power a clean and sustainable energy future for the continent,” said European Commission President von der Leyen.
According to research Africa holds 60% of the world’s best solar resources. The European Union’s Global Gateway investment strategy aims to unlock this potential by funding energy generation, transmission, and cross-border electricity trade project.
The new funding is an addition to the €545 million package announced at the UN General Assembly just weeks earlier and forms part of the broader Africa–EU Green Energy Initiative (AEGEI), launched at the 6th EU–AU Summit in 2022.
NO FUNDING FOR NAMIBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA
Namibia and South Africa received their fair share in 2024 in the flagship project supporting the launch of Green Hydrogen (GH₂) economies in developing countries and emerging markets.
The main project activities funded by the European Union on Namibia include leveraging South Africa and Namibia’s solar and wind potential to develop competitive green hydrogen and green steel, ammonia, fertilizers.
Namibia also earlier benefited from enhancing national power grids through renewable energy integration, supporting domestic use and global export of green hydrogen and derivatives. This positioned both South Africa and Namibia as future manufacturers of electrolyzers, fuel cells, and renewable components with the aim of creating socio-economic benefits through investment in the green hydrogen value chain, including job creation and fiscal revenue.
The current initiative forms part of the “Scaling Up Renewables in Africa” campaign, designed to mobilise both public and private investment in clean energy projects across the continent.
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