Bringing clean, affordable, off-grid energy access to millions

The Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa funded by Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) and the local embassies, is contributing over EUR 60 million for the first expansion into Burkina Faso and Liberia and the second phase in Zambia, to the separate expansions into Mozambique and Uganda as well as to the separate clean cooking programme.

Visit the Sida website

Power Africa is a U.S. government-led partnership that brings together the collective resources of over 170 public and private sector partners to double access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa. Power Africa’s goal is to add more than 30,000 megawatts (MW) of new electricity generation capacity and connect 60 million new homes and businesses to power by 2030. In 2020, Power Africa joined BGFA with the aim to provide an in-kind contribution worth approx. EUR 4 million (USD 4.5 million) over three years in order to help operationalise the initiative and develop a pipeline of commercially viable projects within the framework of BGFA.

Visit the Power Africa website

Denmark joined BGFA in 2020 to support the planned expansion to Uganda. The initial Danish contribution, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is DKK 37.5 million (EUR 5 million) over 5 years and an additional EUR 10.8 million (DKK 80 million) is currently subject to final parliamentary approval, and seeks to provide off-grid solar power to up to 500,000 people currently without access to electricity in Uganda. The Danish contribution will also finance a sub-programme on job creation and skills development. This part of the planned Uganda country programme will aim to create at least 300 decent jobs within the off-grid solar energy sector and is targeted, in particular, at youth and gender equality and efforts to pilot skills development in the Uganda solar energy sector.

Visit the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website

Germany, through the KfW Development Bank joined the BGFA in 2021 and is contributing EUR 7.5 million to BGFA’s Zambian country window. The German contribution will jointly fund the Zambia Country Programme, together with Sweden, aiming at supporting private companies to establish and scale innovative and sustainable business models. Productive use of energy and the inclusion of institutional clients, e.g. health and education, will be incentivised within the three Funding Lots to be implemented in Zambia.

Visit the KfW website

As Facility Manager, the Nordic Environment Finance Corporation Nefco has set up the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa on behalf of Sweden  and is responsible for its overall delivery. Owned by the five Nordic countries (Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden) Nefco is an international financial institution (IFI) with 30 years of experience in financing exclusively green projects. Besides making investments through its own capital, Nefco manages a considerable number of trust funds and its trust fund processes fulfil EU requirements. Nefco is also accredited by the Green Climate Fund. Nefco is currently working with a number of like-minded possible donors with the aim of converting BGFA into a multi-donor programme.

Visit the Nefco website

The Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP) is an international non-profit organisation that works to kick-start markets for clean energy and energy efficiency solutions in low- and middle-income countries. REEEP co-designed and implemented the Beyond the Grid Fund for Zambia and is Implementation Manager of the Beyond the Grid Fund for Africa.

Visit the REEEP website