The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved the first funding proposal of the African Development Bank for Zambia’s Renewable Energy Financing Framework.

Under the agreement the GCF will provide a $50 million loan and a $2.5 million grant towards the Framework aimed at financing 100MW of renewable energy projects under the Renewable Energy Feed-in-Tariff (REFiT) policy of Zambia.

This is the first program that will be co-financed by the GCF and the African Development Bank following the signing of the Accreditation Master Agreement on November 8, 2017 between the two institutions, making the Bank a credited implementer of GCF-approved projects.

The primarily solar projects will help diversify Zambia’s energy production which is heavily reliant on Hydro-electricity.

Facing a serious electricity supply deficit due to recent droughts, the Government of the Republic of Zambia launched the REFiT policy in 2017 to crowd-in private investments for small-scale renewable projects up to 20MW.

Support climate change resilience

“This innovative project represents an important and fitting milestone in our partnership with GCF. Not only do the projects pave the way for providing clean, sustainable energy to around 300 000 people, through diversifying Zambia’s energy mix,” says Amadou Hott, Vice President for Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank.

“It will also make the country more resilient to the effects of climate change.” Hott adds.

The African Development Bank has placed climate change mitigation and adaptation, as well as powering Africa at the top of its agenda.

The Bank’s second Climate Action Plan commits to 40% of Bank approvals to classified as climate finance annually by 2020 and its New Deal in Energy for Africa, which aims to provide universal access to energy by 2025.