Page 9 - AfrElec Week 48 2022

AfrElec ENERGY TRANSITION AfrElec

Eni, Rwanda sign four

agreements on creation of

energy transition hub

RWANDA ENI (Italy) has signed a package of four agree- districts, which are home to a target population
ments with the government of Rwanda to facil- of around 1.5mn people.
itate the creation of an energy transition hub in Finally, the technology accord between Eni
that country, it said on November 24. and Rwanda’s Ministry of ICT and Innovation
In a statement, the Italian major explained will “play a cross-cutting role in supporting ini-
that the agreements laid the groundwork for tiatives in areas of common interest: from preci-
joint innovation in the areas of agriculture, for- sion agriculture to forest monitoring and health,”
est ecosystem protection, health and technology. Eni said. “The parties will collaborate to dissemi-
Under the agricultural accord, Eni will work nate these technologies and create synergies with
with Rwanda’s National Industrial Research and the country’s start-ups.”
Development Agency to launch a pilot project to The agreements follow the signing of a mem-
produce high-quality seeds for oil crops and to orandum of understanding (MoU) between Eni
use drones for crop monitoring and soil analysis. and the Rwandan government earlier this year,
The forestry accord, meanwhile, calls for Eni the Italian major noted in its statement.
to work with the Rwanda Development Board Luigi Ciarrocchi, Eni’s director for carbon
and the non-profit tech start-up Rainforest Con- capture, use and storage (CCUS) in forestry and
nection to generate carbon credits while also agro-feedstock, emphasised that the deal would
protecting forests. The parties will use high-tech have a positive environmental impact.
equipment and solutions to protect threatened “Just seven months after the memorandum
plant and animal species. of understanding with the Rwandan institutions,
At the same time, the health accord will see we are launching the activities in the sectors of
Eni Foundation join forces with the Ministry common interest,” he said. “We will work jointly
of Health (MoH) and the Ministry of Finance to develop concrete projects for the country’s
and Economic Planning (MINECOFIN) over a decarbonisation, leveraging a business environ-
period of three years to bolster basic child health ment that is ideal to test innovative solutions and
and maternal care services. They will focus on agribusiness activities generating high-added
managing obstetric emergencies in Rwanda’s value.”’™
Gisagara, Musanze, Nyagatare and Rulindo

Week 48 30•November•2022 www. NEWSBASE .com P9