• TDB, TDF, and World Bank launch ASCENT to provide energy to 3 million people
• Burn and Ignite Power sign first deals to deploy clean cooking and solar systems
• Off-grid, simple technologies seen as key to reaching rural African communities

Achieving universal access to energy remains one of Africa’s biggest challenges. Large infrastructure projects often struggle to reach remote areas, but another approach is quietly gaining momentum: decentralized, practical energy solutions tailored to people’s daily needs.

This is the vision behind ASCENT, a program launched by TDB Group, the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), and the World Bank. The goal is to bring clean energy services to 3 million people, including 1 million by the end of this year and 2 million more over the next twelve months. The program focuses on clean cooking and decentralized electricity, areas where simple but effective solutions can deliver major impact.

On Thursday, June 19, at the Africa Energy Forum, ASCENT signed its first agreements with Burn Manufacturing and Ignite Power. These partnerships mark a key step in scaling up decentralized energy efforts across the continent.

The shift reflects a major change in thinking within the energy sector. Installed capacity is no longer the only measure of success. What matters most is the ability to meet basic energy needs in off-grid areas, using proven technologies and scalable models.

Burn will distribute its clean cookstoves to more than 400,000 households in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and Mozambique. Ignite Power will expand its solar home systems in rural communities. These solutions go beyond simply accelerating electricity access. They help reduce biomass consumption, lower exposure to harmful indoor smoke, and lessen environmental damage.

By making clean cooking and off-grid solar a priority, ASCENT acknowledges a reality often overlooked: Africa’s energy transition will not rely solely on large, centralized infrastructure. Progress will come from decentralized, flexible, and locally adapted solutions.

For the millions of people in Africa still without modern energy, these so-called “modest” technologies are not secondary. They are essential to improving daily life and protecting the environment.