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AfDB allocates $5.5mn for Desert to
Power project in Eastern Sahel
AFRICA THE African Development Fund (ADF) board Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD’s executive secretary.
of directors has agreed to allocate a $5.5mn “It is an important milestone in addressing
technical assistance grant for the roll-out of the renewable energy investment gaps in the region,
‘Desert to Power’ initiative in the Eastern Sahel and will reduce the adverse effects of climate
region countries of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia change and diversifying the energy mix leading
and Sudan. to energy security.”
According to an African Development Bank The Desert to Power programme aims
(AfDB) press release on April 11, the project, to accelerate socio-economic development
also known as the East Africa Regional Energy through the use of solar technologies in the 11
project, will be financed through the ADF-15 countries of the Sahel region (Burkina Faso,
Regional Public Good window of the AfDB. Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauri-
The project will develop technical studies for tania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan). The
regional solar parks and associated battery stor- programme will ultimately add 10 GW of solar
age near regional energy interconnections and generation capacity and provide electricity to
high-voltage cables that connect the electricity around 250mn people by 2030, according to
systems of neighbouring countries. AfDB.
The initiative will be implemented through “The approval of this regional technical assis-
the Intergovernmental Authority on Develop- tance programme will accelerate the roll-out
ment (IGAD), a trade bloc that includes govern- of the Desert to Power initiative in the eastern
ments from the Horn of Africa, Nile Valley and Sahel,” said Daniel Schroth, acting director of
the Great Lakes region, according to the press the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
release. Department of the AfDB. “As a result, the region
“This Desert to Power project is timely in this will move one step closer to harnessing its tre-
post-Covid-19 era, which clearly highlighted mendous solar energy potential to spur acceler-
the importance of reliable energy services. It has ated economic and social development.”
also come at a time when IGAD is planning to
take its Regional Infrastructure Master Plan in
the energy sector to real implementation,” said
Week 15 14•April•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P7
