Green economy

Mattei Plan, starting with training centre in Morocco and biofuels in Kenya

Ecomondo takes stock of projects in Africa, focus on renewable energy and agriculture 4.4 billion euro endowment from the Italian Climate Fund, managed by Cdp

8 November 2024

3' min read

Key points

The centre in Morocco
The project in Kenya
Investments

3' min read

Training new renewable energy and electricity infrastructure professionals on the African continent and supporting the biofuels supply chain in Kenya: these are the two objectives of the first projects from the Mattei Plan for Africa in the green economy field. Their development was discussed at the Ecomondo fair, during the 2024 edition of the Africa Green Growth Forum, organised by Ecomondo itself and the Ministry of the Environment, in collaboration with the Mission Structure of the Prime Minister's Office for the Mattei Plan. The event also brought to light new opportunities for cooperation in the circular economy sectors that could involve Italy with the African continent.

The centre in Morocco

Piano Mattei is supporting the establishment in Morocco of a centre of excellence for the training of professionals in the field of renewables and energy efficiency, aimed at the entire African continent. The centre will train experts, administrators and technicians in the renewable energy and electricity infrastructure sectors, promoting sustainable energy development by strengthening local managerial and professional capacities.

The project in Kenya

In Kenya, on the other hand, the Mattei Plan supports, through funding from the Italian Climate Fund, the development of the biofuel supply chain, through the production of vegetable oil, to be used as a raw material for biorefineries: starting from crops on degraded or abandoned land, from second-crop crops, not in competition with food agricultural production. Along the lines of what has been done by Eni. The project also envisages the valorisation of forest and agro-industrial waste and residues, supporting circular economy processes.

The initiative already involves more than 100 thousand small local farmers in 16 counties, with the aim of reaching 200 thousand in the next few years, guaranteeing the creation of rural income, market access for farmers, and the recovery of marginal areas. It enjoys a total funding of USD 210 million.

The interlocutors

Several national and international stakeholders were present: in addition to the organisers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, the Moroccan Embassy, Cassa Depositi e Prestiti as financial partner of the Plan and manager of the Italian Climate Fund to support climate mitigation and adaptation initiatives. The Enel and Eni groups, which in the framework of the Mattei Plan implement the projects in the area, and representatives of the RES4Africa Foundation, which organises training to train new professionals in the energy sector.

Energy

"Energy could not but be one of the characterising sectors of the Mattei plan" and "in these first months a lot of work has been done on energy projects, obviously with a perspective of sustainability," explained Fabio Massimo Ballerini, advisor for sub-Saharan Africa in the office of the diplomatic advisor to the Presidency of the Council of Ministers: "In the energy sphere it was not difficult to understand that the need is considerable because estimates say that over 600 million Africans today do not have access to energy, so there is certainly a lot of work to be done. In the context of expanding sustainable supply chains, "one of the first financial acts of the Mattei Plan, through a contribution from the Climate Fund, was a 75 million euro grant for the development of biofuels in Kenya, which makes it possible to create a link between the development of renewable energy and training".

Investments

"Africa is a region of strategic interest for Cdp," added Francesco Masera, Head of Business Promotion, Governance and Partnerships, International Development Cooperation at Cassa Depositi e Prestiti: "In our role as an institution for development cooperation, in recent years, we have mobilised over 3.5 billion euro in investments, more than half of which has been allocated to the African continent. In line with the strategic guidelines of the Mattei Plan, Cdp has intensified its commitment in Africa, also thanks to the resources of the Italian Climate Fund, managed on behalf of the Ministry for the Environment and Energy Security. With an endowment

and EUR 4.4 billion, the Fund is now one of the largest climate finance instruments set up by a European country'.