Page 6 - AfrElec Week 05 2021
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AfrElec POLICY AfrElec
IRENA seals new energy transformation
agreement for Southern Africa
AFRICA THE International Renewable Energy Agency resource assessment, long-term planning, as
(IRENA) and the Southern African Develop- well as investments, policy, regulatory and insti-
ment Community’s (SADC) Centre for Renew- tutional frameworks. Implementation of activ-
able Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) ities under ACEC provides a comprehensive
are to work together to boost renewable energy, opportunity to avoid greenhouse gas (GHG)
especially decentralised technology. emissions, in line with the objectives of Paris
The two signed have a memorandum of Agreement.
understanding (MoU) to co-operate on policy “SACREEE has implemented several joint
development, capacity building programmes programmatic activities with IRENA through
and regional events aimed at attracting invest- the African Clean Energy Corridor initiative and
ments to the region, IRENA said in a statement. the SADC Renewable Energy Entrepreneurship
Southern Africa has seen a remarkable Support Facility since 2017,” said SACREEE
improvement in electricity access over the past executive director Kudakwashe Ndhlukula.
decade. “The renewal of this MoU will expand and
The total share of renewables in power gen- strengthen our collaboration in areas of mutual
eration rose from 23% in 2015 to almost 39% in interest and given mandates. We therefore
2018. However, despite significant progress, elec- appreciate the continued partnership and sup-
tricity access remains a challenge. port from IRENA towards the fulfilment of our
This is largely due to a strong commitment mandate towards an energy secure and resilient
from SADC member states to take advantage of society through clean, affordable and sustainable
the region’s vast renewable energy potential to energy solutions,” concluded Ndhlukula.
improve energy security and meet rising energy IRENA and SACREEE will also work together
demand. to accelerate renewable energy investments
“The [coronavirus] COVID-19 pandemic through the implementation of the “Southern
has re-emphasised the importance of a reliable, African Investment Forum” that will facilitate
affordable, clean energy,” said IRENA direc- access to sustainable finance in the region.
tor-general Francesco La Camera. The forum is part of IRENA’s contribution
“It has served as a stark reminder that the new to the Climate Investment Platform (CIP),
energy age must be inclusive, just and low-car- designed to advance sustainable energy projects
bon if we are to achieve sustainable development to investment maturity and facilitate their access
in Southern Africa and around the world. Africa to finance. Key forum activities include match-
can seize the moment for meaningful change, making between projects, project developers and
and dramatically improve socioeconomic out- potential financiers and investors.
comes by moving decisively towards the energy IRENA and SACREEE also renewed their
transformation. This agreement will bolster commitment to support entrepreneurship in
regional progress,” concluded La Camera. the region. The two organisations previously
By building capacity in the SADC region, partnered on establishing the SADC Renewable
IRENA and SACREEE aim to accelerate renew- Energy Entrepreneurship Support Facility.
able energy deployment and achieve universal The objective of the Facility was to enhance
energy access by creating environments more and strengthen the capacity of small to medium
conducive to renewable energy investments. entrepreneurs in assessing the business poten-
The two organisations will conduct joint tials of sustainable energy, developing viable
activities under the Africa Clean Energy Cor- business plans and loan requests, and managing
ridor (ACEC) in the areas of renewable energy their businesses successfully.
P6 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 05 04•February•2021
