NAIROBI, Kenya – From March 26-April 1, 2023, U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Chief Climate Officer (CCO) Jake Levine and Deputy CCO (DCCO) Aparna Shrivastava traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Kenya to meet with investors, entrepreneurs, and current and prospective DFC clients across the critical minerals, clean energy, and nature-based solutions value chains. The DFC delegation also joined senior U.S. government officials at the American Chamber of Commerce Business Summit in Kenya to discuss growing economic ties and advancing investments in the region.
In Kinshasa, they met with current and prospective DFC clients working to increase energy access and secure supply chains for critical minerals and carbon sequestration. The DFC delegation met with senior executives across several major companies working to implement the U.S.-DRC-Zambia Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen the electric vehicle battery value chain. CCO Levine and DCCO Shrivastava’s meetings focused on building capacity not only in upstream metals mining, but for midstream and downstream value-added industrial applications, such as processing, assembly, and distribution. They also met with DFC client BBOXX, an off-grid renewable energy provider supplying households and businesses with solar panels and equipment in the DRC.
In Nairobi, CCO Levine participated in the 3rd annual AmCham Business Summit alongside U.S. Ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman and visited current and prospective DFC clients in the clean energy, electric mobility, big data and AI for climate, and climate finance sectors. On the sidelines of the conference, he convened a roundtable with founders, CEOs, and investors in the climate-smart agricultural sector for a discussion about deepening DFC’s support for production, processing, storage, and go-to-market capacity of the agricultural sector. While in Kenya, the DFC delegation visited DFC client projects OrPower 4 150 MW geothermal power plant and the 102MW Kipeto Power wind farm to discuss opportunities for further innovation in battery storage and expansion. The delegation then visited several prospective DFC clients in electric vehicle manufacturing and e-mobility services to provide services in-country.
CCO Levine and DCCO Shrivastava also met with several high-level government officials, including Cabinet Secretary for Investment and Trade, Moses Kuria, with whom he affirmed DFC’s commitment to invest in Kenya’s economic growth and potential for clean energy.
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The U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) partners with the private sector to finance solutions to the most critical challenges facing the developing world today. We invest across sectors including energy, healthcare, critical infrastructure, and technology. DFC also provides financing for small businesses and women entrepreneurs in order to create jobs in emerging markets. DFC investments adhere to high standards and respect the environment, human rights, and worker rights.