LUSAKA, Dec. 3 (Xinhua) -- Zambia on Wednesday launched a program to increase electricity access for vulnerable groups and enhance the provision of clean energy.

With an emphasis on jobs, women and low-income households, the 1.6-billion-U.S.-dollar Accelerating Sustainable and Clean Energy Access Transformation (ASCENT) Zambia program seeks to supply electricity to more than 1.6 million people.

It also seeks to expand access to clean cooking technologies for 300,000 people over the next five years.

The financing package includes 200 million dollars from the International Development Association and 250 million dollars in government financing, with additional contributions expected from other cooperating partners and the private sector through 2030.

Zambian Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote said the project aligns with the government's vision to achieve international access to electricity by 2030 and is anchored in the Mission 300 Initiative, which targets modern energy access for 300 million Africans by 2030.

However, Chikote said that Zambia's national electricity access rate remains low at 51 percent, including 80 percent in urban areas.

"Achieving universal access, therefore, requires more than government effort alone. The program demands bold reforms, private sector participation, and strong collaboration with our cooperating partners," he said during the launch.

World Bank Country Manager Achim Fock said that the launch of the ASCENT program represents a decisive step toward achieving universal, affordable, reliable, and clean energy for rural and peri-urban communities across the country.

ASCENT is a flagship program under Mission 300, an initiative bringing together the World Bank Group, the African Development Bank, and other partners to support sub-Saharan African countries in providing electricity access to 300 million people. ■