Project profile — Energy Access Relief Fund (EARF)

• Congo, Democratic Republic (3.25%)
• Ethiopia (1.50%)
• India (6.90%)
• Kenya (23.10%)
• Cambodia (0.95%)
• Liberia (0.30%)
• Malawi (3.23%)
• Mozambique (5.30%)
• Nigeria (4.00%)
• Rwanda (2.55%)
• Sierra Leone (3.70%)
• Senegal (6.10%)
• Tanzania (0.10%)
• Uganda (4.90%)
• Zambia (2.60%)
• Zimbabwe (0.80%)

• Asia, regional (3.10%)
• South of Sahara, regional (27.62%)

• Energy Generation, Renewable Resources: Energy generation, renewable sources - multiple technologies (23210) (100.00%)

• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (principal objective)
• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Climate change mitigation (principal objective)

The Energy Access Relief Fund (EARF) aims to help the off-grid energy sector in Africa and Asia to safeguard its progress towards greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions mitigation, reduce the economic impact of COVID-19, and rapidly recover from the current crisis by providing access to emergency relief funding. The EARF is a concessionary debt fund intended to provide renewable energy access companies with vital financial liquidity during the crisis induced by the COVID-19 pandemic, in the form of short-term loans. EARF seeks to provide much-needed financial liquidity to off-grid, renewable energy companies that may otherwise have to reduce their workforces or shut off access to energy for their customers. Clean energy access helps to create new jobs and increases incomes. Project activities include: (1) maintain the emission reductions already achieved by the off-grid energy sector; and (2) position energy access companies to extend emission reductions to other clients beyond the crisis.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) continued access by men and women customers to clean, affordable energy solutions; (2) increased economic resilience of energy access companies and companies working in the clean cooking sector; and (3) maintained level of GHG emissions reductions.

Results achieved as of December 2023 include: (1) reached 1.3 million households and provided with off-grid renewable energy or clean cooking services; (2) provided 23,040 full-time jobs, comprising 8,008 (or 35%) female jobs—an increase of 53% over the baseline of 2021; (3) allowed 77% of companies receiving the Energy Access Relief Fund funds to reach pre-crisis revenue levels as a result of this funding; and (4) allowed to avoid 3.9 million tons of CO2e in greenhouse gas emissions.

• Proactive disclosure
• Related activities: Energy Access Relief Fund – technical assistance