GET.invest launches Burundi country window

7 October 2021 | It’s official: GET.invest has launched its second country window to support renewable energy projects and businesses in Burundi access finance. With earmarked funding by the Delegation of the European Union to Burundi, GET.invest Burundi will support the Government of Burundi’s efforts to implement the goal of universal access to modern, clean and affordable energy services by 2027.

Alongside a new country window of the EU-funded impact investment facility EDFI ElectriFI, the GET.invest country window was launched on 6 October by the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Hydraulics, Energy and Mines of Burundi and the Ambassador of the European Union to Burundi. The ceremony, which was held in a hybrid format due to Covid-19 restrictions, was attended by over 100 key stakeholders of Burundi’s renewable energy sector.

“With the law on the liberalisation of the energy sector, Burundi has established a legal framework favorable to private sector investments. The EDFI ElectriFI window and the technical assistance provided by GET.invest have the mission to further support these investments. I am delighted that Burundi is among the first African countries to benefit from such initiatives thanks to a dedicated national envelope. I therefore encourage private sector actors involved in the energy sector to seize this opportunity that the European Union is putting in place in collaboration with the Ministry in charge of energy, and to invest in Burundi, to help achieve the objectives of the National Development Plan 2018-2027.” said H.E. Claude Bochu, Ambassador of the European Union to Burundi.

Following the official launch on day one, a workshop for the Burundian private sector was held on 7 October. The workshop featured presentations about the modalities of accessing support by GET.invest and EDFI ElectriFI. Additionally, RENAC – one of GET.invest’s newest partners – presented the “Green Banking for Recovery” training programme to financing institutions and renewable energy developers.

The two-day event marks a promising start for GET.invest Burundi, building on the services of the global GET.invest programme to unlock financing for sustainable energy projects and businesses, and tailoring them to the national context.

In the country, GET.invest will continue to work closely with EDFI ElectriFI, helping companies and projects prepare in the areas of investment strategy, business case structuring and accessing finance, with EDFI ElectriFI providing the finance to de-risk investments for private financiers. Another key partner will be the Burundi Renewable Energy Association (BUREA), which brings together actors in the renewable energy sector in order to promote the accessibility and utilisation of energy for all. GET.invest will support BUREA in mobilising the private sector and strengthening the renewable energy market in the country.

Read more about the launch here.

Read about how we’ve supported Burundi’s first non-diesel IPP here.