It is wonderful to see you again now in Brussels, so soon after New York where we met last time at UNGA. Because today, we truly have good news to share. In March, at our EU–South Africa Summit in Cape Town, we announced a EUR 4.7 billion Global Gateway package with South Africa: mainly to boost connectivity, with a strong emphasis on boosting local vaccine production and biomanufacturing capabilities that are so important and above all, to produce clean energy.
Back then, we made a strong call to invest in renewables in and with South Africa. Because the logic is: there is natural resources in abundance, you have the skills, the business case is clear and this transition is a boon of opportunity. I am delighted to announce that our Member States have stepped up. They are bringing a massive contribution to the package now with almost EUR 12 billion. So we can take those EUR 12 billion to our Just Energy Transition Partnership and we can support our ambition to become a true global leader in clean energy.
There are already so many inspiring projects on the ground. And I am glad that our business partners, without whom it would not be possible to make all this happen, are here with us today, so many thanks for the enormous valuable contribution. We need the Member States, we need our partners, and we also need the private sector, the business community to come in with the knowledge and the global capabilities. And they are different views in the arena. I am thinking, for example, of the Coega Green Ammonia project in Nelson Mandela Bay. With it, South Africa is on its way to becoming a global shipping hub as green ammonia becomes a clean maritime fuel of choice. With this investment, this is an enormous opportunity that is unfolding for South Africa. This is just one of many success stories we are creating together. And now, with this new investment, we have the means to write many more.
Dear Cyril,
There is a second point we have in common. South Africa is not only transforming itself, it is becoming a clean energy pioneer for the entire continent. Global Citizen has started a campaign that is scaling up renewables in Africa. 600 million people in Africa still have no access to electricity. This campaign goes on for a year and will be culminating in Johannesburg at the G20. We are working hand in hand to mobilise investments under our "Scaling Up Renewables in Africa" campaign, together with Global Citizen. And today, I am delighted to announce a new package of EUR 618 million from Team Europe as a pledge to this campaign. This will support projects of electrification, modernising power grids, and expanding access to renewable energy.
Our campaign is now entering its final stretch. We will have our final pledging event in the margins of the G20 Summit in Johannesburg in a few weeks. Let us continue to make the business case for clean energy in Africa. The potential is immense. It can transform the daily lives of millions of Africans who still live without electricity. And this is one of the world's fastest-growing markets: Africa offers enormous opportunities for African and European companies alike. In short: this is a win–win situation. It will make Africa stronger, our partnership deeper, and our planet healthier.
