Europe pledge $ 600 billion for clean energy projects in Africa
“From the outset, the World Gate has been described as the EU’s efforts to compete for belt and road infrastructure investment funds abroad, however, with € 300 billion by 2027, this is a style of David.” China has already invested heavily in clean energy in Africa and with much less limitations. “The union operates in a system with accurate laws, stocks and unknown restrictions on China’s centrality,” says Rosana.
According to a study of the University of Griffith in Australia, energy-related investments under the first half of 2025 were the highest in 2013, when the initiative began-and Africa was $ 39 billion, with the highest value contracts in the sector. A recent report from the EMB Energy School showed that China exports 15 grams of solar panels to Africa in the year ending June 2025, which increases such imports by 60 percent compared to last year. It is not certain that all of these devices are installed – some can be a commercial triangle to bypass tariffs – but in any case, Beijing puts itself to use the continental green transfer.
However, Europe is also committed to understanding this opportunity. “Over the past two years, the competition has gradually been gradually done, but with increasing belief, it becomes a keyword on the European policy agenda along with defense,” says Rosana. “International cooperation with the aim of strategic independence, and in the service of the union’s global forecasting, when European and China’s challenge of trade, Europe must quickly diversify its supply and trade chains.”
The European Union has not been alone in the sense of need to respond to China’s belt and road initiative. Prior to President Donald Trump’s second term, the United States also felt that he had to act. In 2021, the President Joe Biden’s government from an international infrastructure program, the construction of the World Breat Better, which expanded to the G7 the following year and renamed the Partnership for World Infrastructure and Investment (PGI). Among the main areas of focus were PGI, Energy and Africa: in fact, two solar power plants in Angola, an energy and wind storage system in Kenya, and a nickel processing plant for Tanzania batteries appeared on the list of early US projects.
But perhaps the most important infrastructure project in the West in Africa is the Lubito Corridor, a railway line that connects Zambia copper sediments and DRC cobalt mines to the port of Lubito in Angola. Copper is a metal. Lithium, one main substance in batteries – are both essential raw materials for green transmission, and China is currently providing both rulers.
In this case, the continent of Africa is now interested in its resources among the superpowers. But despite the young and growing population-in the area below the desert, the population will grow 79 % over the next three decades-and a fossil fuel energy system will be essential for zero net success. “Africa’s choices are doing today,” forms the future of the whole world, “said Valley Lynn. “
This story appeared first Wired Italy And translated from Italian.
