In Africa, power is inaccessible, unaffordable, and unreliable for most people. This traps people in poverty – students find it difficult to read after dark, clinics cannot refrigerate vaccines and businesses have shorter operating hours.
Today, 25 African countries face an energy crisis. The African continent is well endowed with energy resources but most remain untapped. Solutions to this problem include: boosting cross-border power trade, improving existing utility companies, improving access to electricity on a large scale, while helping countries chart low-carbon growth paths.
The World Bank Africa Energy Unit (AFTEG) works on these solutions through partnerships to bring reliable, environmentally-sound power to more people across Africa.
In fiscal years 2008 and 2009, World Bank Group lending to Africa's Energy sector was US$775.8 million and US$1,231 million respectively. Lending in fiscal year 2010 reached US$4.99 billion. The lending was divided among projects and programs in several sectors including regional interconnection, electricity generation, transmission, distribution, and energy efficiency. The emphasis of World Bank supported projects was on access.
At present, Energy projects funded by the World Bank, including the Bumbuna Hydroelectric Project, cover 29 of 47 Sub-Saharan countries, with projects in additional countries coming up for review and approval in 2011.
2011 and ahead
In fiscal year 2010 (July 2009 through June 2010), the World Bank Group’s Africa Energy (AFTEG) portfolio received approvals for 11 projects totaling US$4.99 billion. Currently, in fiscal year 2011 (July 2010 through June 2011), AFTEG's portfolio has received approvals totaling US$788 million.
List of approved projects in FY10-11
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