In Benin, the A3E project is entering a new phase to improve access to sustainable energy in rural areas
The A3E project—Access to Energy and Energy Efficiency for Low-Carbon Development in Rural Areas—is reaching a new milestone in Benin.
Meeting in Cotonou on February 24, 2026, the project’s institutional, technical, and financial partners—including the General Directorate of Energy and Rural Planning (DGPER), the French Development Agency (AFD), and Geres teams in West Africa—commended the achievements of the first phase and reaffirmed their shared commitment to making the A3E project a regional showcase for inclusive energy transition.
Many cooking and food-processing activities still rely on inefficient, costly, and polluting technologies, with direct consequences for women’s health, incomes, and the pressure on wood resources. At the same time, in many rural areas of Benin, access to reliable energy remains a major obstacle to the development of productive activities. While mini-grids and solar solutions have enabled significant progress, they do not always fully meet the needs of very small businesses, artisans, and agri-food processing groups. At the same time, many cooking and processing activities still rely on inefficient, costly, and polluting technologies, with direct consequences for women’s health, incomes, and the pressure on wood resources.
It is precisely to address these challenges that the A3E project is implementing an integrated approach centered on access to electricity for productive uses and the dissemination of more efficient cooking equipment. The first phase notably supported the energy incubation of very small enterprises connected to mini-grids, while also fostering the development of the improved productive cookstove sector. Preliminary results confirm that an integrated approach to energy access—taking into account production, economic uses, and energy efficiency—is a powerful driver of low-carbon local development.
Beyond technical performance, the project aims to strengthen rural economies in a sustainable manner. Energy is viewed as a tool for transformation that supports income generation, local employment, improved working conditions, and regional resilience. Particular attention is given to women entrepreneurs and groups of women working in agri-food processing, who are especially affected by the challenges of clean cooking and improving productivity.
As the AFD representative emphasized during the steering committee meeting, initial results confirm that an integrated approach to energy access—balancing production, productive uses, and energy efficiency—is a powerful driver of low-carbon local development.
The second phase of this project will aim to strengthen clean cooking solutions within women’s groups involved in agri-food processing, by consolidating the models developed and continuing to provide support tailored to their specific needs and practices. The partners agreed that the achievements of Phase 1 now provide a solid foundation for scaling up the project, with the goal of making it a regional model for inclusive energy transition.
By launching this new phase in Benin, Geres and its partners are reaffirming their commitment to making the A3E project a key driver of rural development that is more low-carbon, more equitable, and more sustainable.
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