The European Union's Global Gateway strategy, which focuses on investment in connectivity, clean energy, health and transport, is continuing in Africa. The Global Gateway forum, organised by the European Commission and bringing together the leaders of some forty governments from around the world and the private sector since 25 October in Brussels, is an opportunity to sign a number of agreements.
Hydrogen in Mauritania. The EU, its Member States and their financial institutions, as well as the private sector, will invest to develop the hydrogen industry in Mauritania, in order to “accelerate the country’s green transition”. The project involves the EU, France, Germany and the EIB. The agreement was signed on Tuesday 24 October by Ursula von der Leyen and the President of Mauritania, Mohamed Ould Ghazouani.
Clean energy in Cape Verde. Up to €246 million will be invested in Cape Verde, relying on the leverage effect of private funds. The first phase will focus on the development of a pumped storage facility and other essential components to optimise the use of energy, according to the Commission. The EU will provide €29 million in grants from its budget, combined with a €120 million sovereign loan from the EIB, to ensure the energy viability of the project.
On Wednesday, at the opening of the Forum, Ms von der Leyen recalled that the €1 billion investment in the production of RNA-messenger vaccines in Africa had been “the first emblematic project” of Global Gateway.
“Global Gateway has already produced positive results”, she added. Since 2021, the launch date of this strategy initially designed to counter China’s new ‘Silk Road’ (see EUROPE 12844/7), the EU “has already committed to transformative projects to the tune of €66 billion” (half of which comes from the EU budget) out of the €300 billion envelope planned until 2027 for all low- and middle-income countries in the world. €150 billion is earmarked for Africa (see EUROPE 12894/1). (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)