UK extends Ayrton Fund, commits Ksh.15 billion to expand global clean energy access

The announcement was made during the Ayrton Forum in London at the start of London Climate Action Week, alongside the publication of the UK's fourth International Climate Finance (ICF) strategy. The strategy outlines the government's approach to mobilising climate finance, strengthening resilience and expanding access to affordable and sustainable energy in developing countries.

Launched in 2021, the Ayrton Fund brings together the UK's overseas development assistance (ODA) portfolio for clean energy research, development and demonstration under a cross-government framework involving the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT).

According to the UK Government, the fund supports clean energy technologies as well as the business models and systems required to deploy them at scale. It operates in more than 100 countries across Africa, Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Government figures show that projects supported through the fund have improved access to clean energy for 46 million people, leveraged £3 billion in public and private investment, and contributed to a reduction of approximately 14 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. The initiatives have also supported more than 256,000 green jobs globally.

Professor Sir John Edmunds, Chief Scientific Adviser at the FCDO, said international cooperation remains critical to addressing interconnected challenges relating to energy security, development and climate change.

"The future of development is about bringing innovation and investment together and delivering smarter, more sustainable finance flows," Edmunds said during the forum. "Energy is the pivot issue on which so much rides – security, development, climate and equality."

The fund has also supported more than 300 UK-based organisations involved in clean energy research and innovation and is credited with helping sustain over 1,000 jobs in the UK. Supported technologies include solar-powered irrigation systems, zero-emission generators, energy storage solutions, sustainable cold-chain technologies, smart grids and cleaner industrial processes.

More than 300 representatives from government, business, finance, academia and civil society attended the Ayrton Forum to assess progress and discuss ways of accelerating clean energy transitions in developing economies ahead of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline.

Discussions focused on expanding electricity access, supporting low-carbon industrialisation, strengthening power grids, promoting inclusive economic growth, improving supply chain resilience and ensuring vulnerable communities benefit from the transition to cleaner energy systems.

Participants also examined how innovative technologies can move beyond pilot projects to wider commercial deployment through increased investment, stronger partnerships and market development.