Burundi Secures $600,000 Grant to Expand Power Grid

The multi-donor Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) has approved a $600,000 grant to support private utility company Weza Power in expanding electrification to nine million people in Burundi.

Deployed in partnership with pan-African financial institution the African Development Bank (AfDB), the project development grant is part of SEFA’s regional technical assistance program for public-private partnerships in transmission and distribution.

“Weza Power represents a bold new model for accelerating access to electricity for all Burundians. We are proud to partner with the private sector to bring innovative solutions to our energy challenges and expand electricity access to millions of our citizens,” stated Ibrahim Uwizeye, Minister of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines, Burundi.

Weza Power is a public-private partnership-backed private utility operated by renewable energy company Anzana Electric Group. Forming part of the Mission 300 initiative – a joint effort by the World Bank Group and AfDB to provide energy access to 300 million Africans by 2030 -, the grant enables private sector participation in developing transmission lines and grid expansion projects.