27
Jan
Jan
UK DRIVES GREEN GROWTH BY CONNECTING MILLIONS TO ELECTRICITY ACROSS AFRICA
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Nicolas Adekeye / 3 months
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- 2 min read
The UK has announced new investments to extend electricity access to millions across Africa, driving green growth and economic development. Speaking at the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, the UK’s Special Representative on Climate, Rachel Kyte, emphasized the importance of reliable, affordable, and clean energy for economic growth and development. Kyte “Reliable, affordable and clean energy is the cornerstone of economic growth and development. Clean energy, through modern grids and distributed renewable energy offers an opportunity for inclusive growth. Helping end energy poverty supports growth, builds resilience and puts countries on a pathway that helps our common challenge of fighting climate change,” Kyte said. The UK is working with partners across Africa to connect millions of people in the region with cleaner and more efficient power. This includes a £5.3 million new deal between British International Investment (BII) and UK cleantech firm MOPO to expand its pay-per-use battery rental operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Maasdrorp Leslie Maasdorp, BII CEO, said, “At BII we want to use our distinctive position, and track record, to create more early-stage solutions that help expand access to energy for more Africans. This is demonstrated through our investment in MOPO, which is expected to reach over a million people in DRC where energy access is limited.” The UK is also providing £8.5 million in support to the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) to mobilize finance from the private sector into innovative clean energy projects. This investment is expected to create 1.3 million new electricity connections in Africa. The announcements reinforce the long-standing UK-Tanzania partnership, with Tanzania being one of the first countries to sign up to the UK’s Global Clean Power Alliance. The two countries are working together to boost the global clean energy transition and further trade opportunities. Collins Minister for Africa Lord Collins said, “The UK has set a landmark goal to be the first major economy to deliver clean power by 2030, and through our Plan for Change, we’ll harness technology to transform the UK into a clean energy superpower. We want to leverage this ambition with our African partners to power green growth, eradicate poverty, and tackle climate change.”