Page 8 - AfrElec Week 28 2021

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AfDB approves $6mn grant to boost West

Africa’s Desert-to-Power programme

WEST AFRICA THE African Development Bank (AfDB) of electricity from solar power. This is expected
has approved a $6mn grant to launch the ini- to pave the way for power trading on a regional
tial phase of the Desert-to-Power West Africa electricity market. The G-5 Sahel countries are
Regional Energy Programme. Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania, and
Desert-to-Power is an initiative led by the Niger.
bank to transform the Sahel by harnessing the “The Sahel Backbone is synonymous with
region’s abundant solar potential. The Sahel is the the West African Power Pool’s drive to reinforce
ecoclimatic and biogeographic realm of transi- interconnectivity among the ECOWAS national
tion in Africa between the Sahara to the north power systems, increase coverage area beyond
and the Sudanian savanna to the south. the ECOWAS geographical space and augment
The grant funding, which was sourced from the component of renewable energy within the
the African Development Fund’s 15 (ADF-15) energy mix.”
Regional Operations Envelope, will go to the Secretary-General, West African Power Pool,
West African Power Pool (WAPP) to conduct Siengui Apollinaire Ki said. “The approval of
pre-feasibility studies for the construction of funding by the African Development Bank rep-
the Sahel Transmission Backbone that will resents a concrete step towards leveraging the
link regional solar parks in all five G-5 Sahel solar potential of the Sahel region.”
countries. Bah F. M. Saho, acting executive director of
The Economic Community for West Afri- ECREEE, said: “The funding for the Desert-to-
can States (ECOWAS) Centre for Renewable Power initiative will allow ECREEE to up-scale
Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) will efforts on clean energy mini-grids and improve
also receive financing to expand decentralised the availability of locally qualified personnel
energy systems as part of an ECOWAS Regional through the certification of technicians.”
Mini-Grid Programme. The West Africa Regional Programme will
The AfDB stated: “The financing will also contribute to the overall target of 10,000 MW of
help de-risk energy investments by preparing new solar generation capacity, providing elec-
transmission infrastructure to link countries tricity access to 250mn people by 2030.™
in the Sahel region and harness a larger share

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 28 15•July•2021