The African Development Bank Group’s Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility (RPFF) has announced the RPFF Clean Cooking Program (RCCP) during a special session, hosted by the Government of Italy in partnership with the African Development Bank, at the AfDB Group’s 2026 Annual Meetings.
Established in February 2025, the RPFF is designed as a catalytic tool combining grant and concessional financing to be deployed rapidly in co-financing with the African Development Bank Group in the sectors of energy, transport and water.
Dr Daniel Schroth, Director of the Department of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank, announced the RPFF Clean Cooking Program (RCCP) with an initial 25 million euros envelope.
The programme aims to provide access to clean cooking to approximately one million households and is expected to reduce five million tonnes of CO2 emissions. The programme fully aligns with the clean cooking objectives contained in the Mission 300 national energy compacts, while working in synergy with partners such as the International Energy Agency (IEA).
“Clean cooking is a strategic priority for the Italian Government’s Mattei Plan for Africa, representing one of the most urgent and transformative challenges we face today. Nearly one billion people in Africa still lack access to clean cooking solutions, with serious consequences for health, gender equality and economic development,” said Lorenzo Ortona, Deputy Coordinator of the Mission Structure for the Mattei Plan at the Office of the Italian Prime Minister.
The ongoing projects
Kenya, which will host the second Africa Clean Cooking Summit in Nairobi from 9-10 July 2026, is developing an e-cooking market development programme with support from RPFF.
Ethiopia, already a beneficiary of RPFF investment in the water sector, will host COP32 in 2027 and is building clean cooking into its broader climate agenda.
Zambia is already a beneficiary of RPFF for support with the strategic Lobito corridor and is also expanding access to clean cooking in line with its Mission 300 National Energy Compact ambitions.
The RPFF projects so far
To date, around 168 million euros has been committed to the RPFF by three donors (Italy, the United Arab Emirates, and Denmark) with a current active portfolio of four projects, from solar-powered water systems in Ethiopia, to green mini-grids in Mauritania to road infrastructure along the Lobito Corridor in Angola and Zambia.
That portfolio has already leveraged around 389 million euros in co-financing from the African Development Bank Group and 148 million euros from other partners and governments.
“Through the RPFF Clean Cooking Programme, developed in partnership with the African Development Bank, we are mobilizing concessional finance and leveraging additional investment to scale up access to modern, safe and affordable solutions. This is not only about energy, but also about dignity, opportunity and improving daily life. By working together, we are committed to delivering concrete results that will benefit millions of people across the continent,” Ortona said.
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In February 2025, CarbonAi and Greenplinth Africa also launched a clean cookstove initiative in Nigeria.
