Rural electrification in Madagascar: The EIB renews its support for WeLight.

The EIB lends 10 million euros to WeLight Madagascar to develop solar mini-grids in isolated villages, with the European Union's financial support for rural electrification reaching a total investment of 19 million euros.

Share:

The European Investment Bank (EIB) today announced a €10 million loan to WeLight Madagascar. To develop and build solar mini-grids in currently isolated villages.

The European Union supports rural electrification in Madagascar with funding of 19 million euros.

At a signing ceremony, the European Union’s Ambassador to Madagascar and the country’s Minister of Energy and Hydrocarbons attended a visit by the EIB Vice-President responsible for financing private sector projects in Madagascar. The European Union has stressed the importance it attaches to this program. The new mini-grids will give people in unconnected rural villages access to clean, affordable energy.

In addition to private residences and businesses, the project will benefit schools, health centers and public spaces. This will boost the local economy and improve health, safety and education. Including a solar power plant, an energy storage system and a distribution line and meter for each customer. A mini-grid can supply electricity 24/7. The 120 additional villages in 17 regions have been identified. This was done in collaboration with Madagascar’s Ministry of Energy and the Agency for the Development of Rural Electrification (ADER).

Ambroise Fayolle, EIB Vice-President, said: “We are proud to finance this project, which will improve the standard of living of hundreds of thousands of people in rural Madagascar, and to see the progress that has already been made. The EIB, Europe’s climate bank, is committed to promoting clean, sustainable energy that will help businesses and the local economy, as well as families and the community as a whole.”

Romain de Villeneuve, Managing Director of WeLight Madagascar, said, “Since its creation in 2018, WeLight has made extraordinary progress thanks to its many trusted partners: original shareholders Axian, Norfund and Sagemcom and, more recently, the main lenders who have disbursed 19 million euros for a project involving 120 additional villages in Madagascar, namely the European Investment Bank, Triodos Investment Management and EDFI ElectriFI. The adventure of rural electrification has just begun!

EU Ambassador to Madagascar, Isabelle Delattre Burger, said: “I am delighted that the European Union is supporting both private operators, such as WeLight, and the Malagasy state in its efforts to increase access to electricity, including in regions where opportunities and income levels remain low. Together with the EU Member States, the European Investment Bank is a key partner in the implementation of the Global Gateway strategy, which promotes investment in quality infrastructure in line with the highest environmental and social standards and the values and standards of the European Union”.

The EIB loan, announced in January, is part of a joint investment of 19 million euros with Triodos Investment Management and EDFI ElectriFI. The electrification financing initiative is funded by the EU.

On July 8, 2025, the Senate validated the Gremillet bill, aimed at structuring France's energy transition with clear objectives for nuclear power, renewable energies, and energy renovation.
Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Chile, and Peru significantly increase renewable electricity production, reaching nearly 70% of the regional electricity mix, according to a recent Wood Mackenzie study on Latin America's energy sector.
The Canadian government announces an investment of more than $40mn to fund 13 energy projects led by Indigenous communities across the country, aiming to improve energy efficiency and increase local renewable energy use.
The German Ministry of Economy plans to significantly expand aid aimed at reducing industrial electricity costs, increasing eligible companies from 350 to 2,200, at an estimated cost of €4bn ($4.7bn).
A major electricity blackout paralyzed large parts of the Czech Republic, interrupting transport and essential networks, raising immediate economic concerns, and highlighting the vulnerability of energy infrastructures to unforeseen technical incidents.
French greenhouse gas emissions are expected to rise by 0.2% in the first quarter of 2025, indicating a global slowdown in reductions forecast for the full year, according to Citepa, an independent organisation responsible for national monitoring.
The Republican budget bill passed by the U.S. Senate accelerates the phase-out of tax credits for renewable energies, favoring fossil fuels and raising economic concerns among solar and wind industry professionals.
Rapid growth in solar and wind capacities will lead to a significant rise in electricity curtailment in Brazil, as existing transmission infrastructure remains inadequate to handle this massive influx of energy, according to a recent study by consulting firm Wood Mackenzie.
In April 2025, fossil fuels represented 49.5% of South Korea's electricity mix, dropping below the symbolic threshold of 50% for the first time, primarily due to a historic decline in coal-generated electricity production.
The US Senate Finance Committee modifies the '45Z' tax credit to standardize the tax treatment of renewable fuels, thereby encouraging advanced biofuel production starting October 2025.
According to the 2025 report on global energy access, despite notable progress in renewable energy, insufficient targeted financing continues to hinder electricity and clean cooking access, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.
While advanced economies maintain global energy leadership, China and the United States have significantly progressed in the security and sustainability of their energy systems, according to the World Economic Forum's annual report.
On the sidelines of the US–Africa summit in Luanda, Algiers and Luanda consolidate their energy collaboration to better exploit their oil, gas, and mining potential, targeting a common strategy in regional and international markets.
The UK's Climate Change Committee is urging the government to quickly reduce electricity costs to facilitate the adoption of heat pumps and electric vehicles, judged too slow to achieve the set climate targets.
The European Commission will extend until the end of 2030 an expanded state-aid framework, allowing capitals to fund low-carbon technologies and nuclear power to preserve competitiveness against China and the United States.
Japan's grid operator forecasts an energy shortfall of up to 89 GW by 2050 due to rising demand from semiconductor manufacturing, electric vehicles, and artificial intelligence technologies.
Energy-intensive European industries will be eligible for temporary state aid to mitigate high electricity prices, according to a new regulatory framework proposed by the European Commission under the "Clean Industrial Deal."
Mauritius seeks international investors to swiftly build a floating power plant of around 100 MW, aiming to secure the national energy supply by January 2026 and address current production shortfalls.
Madrid announces immediate energy storage measures while Lisbon secures its electrical grid, responding to the historic outage that affected the entire Iberian Peninsula in late April.
Indonesia has unveiled its new national energy plan, projecting an increase of 69.5 GW in electricity capacity over ten years, largely funded by independent producers, to address rapidly rising domestic demand.