The African Development Bank Group’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has received nearly €50 million ($57 million) in fresh commitments from Germany and Italy. The funding aims to support renewable energy deployment and accelerate the Mission 300 initiative, which seeks to connect millions of Africans to reliable, clean energy. The announcement was made at a COP30 side event held at the Africa Pavilion.
The event emphasized the role of blended finance in reducing investment risk and attracting commercial capital to achieve Mission 300 targets. One project highlighted was the Obelisk plant in Egypt, a 1GW solar photovoltaic facility paired with a 200MWh battery energy storage system. The project is co-financed by SEFA and the African Development Bank (AfDB), demonstrating the practical application of the new commitments.
Germany pledged €14 million ($16 million) to support SEFA’s universal energy access goal and an additional €30 million for a green hydrogen program, signaling the strategic role of hydrogen in Africa’s decarbonization and industrial development. Italy contributed €5 million ($5.7 million) to the fund.
Since its launch, Mission 300 has attracted more than $55 billion in pledges from development finance institutions, multilateral banks, and private investors. The initiative targets large-scale renewable energy deployment, including mini-grids, solar home systems, and off-grid solutions.
Twenty-nine African countries have presented national energy compacts under the program, and 30 million Africans have already gained access to electricity, with projects underway to reach an additional 157 million people.
Ndeye Sesay, Member of the Presidential Initiative on Climate Change, Renewable Energy & Food Security (PI-CREF), highlighted the initiative’s role in bringing structured investment and planning to Africa’s energy transition.
Read Also: Africa to Receive Over €2 Billion from European Investment Bank for Renewable Energy Projects
Dr. Katharina Stasch, Director-General for Climate Policy at Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, described SEFA and AfDB as key partners in developing Africa’s green hydrogen economy. She noted that collaboration could create mutual benefits: partner countries gain energy resources, industrial growth, technology transfer, and jobs, while Europe diversifies future energy imports.
Dr. Kevin Kariuki, AfDB Vice-President for Power, Energy, Climate Change, and Green Growth, emphasized that the commitments reaffirm the need for a unified, bold approach to Africa’s energy transition, resilience, and security. He described the German and Italian contributions as providing critical support for Mission 300 and reinforcing SEFA’s central role in Africa’s path to universal energy access.
On the eve of the G20 Leaders’ Summit in South Africa, President Cyril Ramaphosa highlighted the continent’s energy paradox: Africa has some of the world’s most abundant solar, wind, and hydro resources, yet nearly 40% of its population lacks electricity. He stressed the human impact of energy poverty on healthcare, education, and economic activity. South Africa has advanced programs like the Action Plan for Clean Cooking and off-grid energy solutions to address these challenges.
Ramaphosa called for continued global solidarity and decisive action to ensure that investments in clean energy translate into measurable improvements in the daily lives of Africans.
The new SEFA commitments illustrate that structured funding, combined with regional partnerships, can accelerate renewable energy rollout, create jobs, and expand access, while positioning Africa as a growing hub for clean energy development.
By Thuita Gatero, Managing Editor, Africa Digest News. He specializes in conversations around data centers, AI, cloud infrastructure, and energy.
