Gridworks: Why the UK is taking a risk on investing in power transmission in Africa

LONDON — A new investment platform backed by the British government is channeling support to energy transmission and distribution in sub-Saharan Africa, which has traditionally been neglected by investors, experts say.

But they warned that producing bankable projects from these parts of the energy market will be a challenge.

Sustainable Development Goal 7 calls for universal access to affordable, reliable, and modern energy services by 2030, but sub-Saharan Africa lags far behind the rest of the world. Less than 40% of people in the region have access to electricity, falling to 20% in rural areas, and electricity consumption per head is approximately one-fifth of the global average.

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