The project will contribute to the socioeconomic development of Guinea and Mali by providing inhabitants with better access to high-quality, low-cost energy

The Board of Directors of the African Development Fund approved additional financing of $25.79 million for Guinea for the 225 kV Guinea-Mali electricity interconnection project.

The financing, agreed in Abidjan on 10 December 2025, from the African Development Bank Group's concessional window includes a loan of approximately $22 million and a grant of $3.79 million to Guinea.

The project will contribute to the socioeconomic development of Guinea and Mali by providing inhabitants with better access to high-quality, low-cost energy.

The additional financing will support the continued implementation of the project, initially funded with approximately $41 million from the African Development Fund in December 2017. It will raise the total project cost in Guinea from $346 million to $372 million. Alongside the Fund’s contribution, the project is co-financed by the European Union, the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID). The implementation period will run from January 2026 to December 2028.

The new resources will enable the installation of 37,500 additional electricity connections. The project also includes the development of medium-voltage feeders at HV/LV substations to support rural electrification, as well as institutional assistance for key national bodies, including Électricité de Guinée (EDG) and the Electricity and Water Regulatory Authority (AREE).

It will also cover the operating costs of the Management Unit and the consulting engineer. This intervention will help strengthen governance and increase electricity access—two persistent challenges for the sector. In 2024, national access stood at just 52 percent, with stark differences between urban areas (89 percent) and rural areas (21 percent).

The project will directly benefit households by improving living conditions, as well as essential socio-economic infrastructure such as schools, health centres, artisanal workshops and women’s groups. Productive users will gain access to reliable electricity to expand their activities. Strengthening these structures will boost employment, reduce poverty and enhance social cohesion.