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Dear
reader,
Welcome
to this
edition of the newsletter of the FINESSE program, the African
Development Bank's program on renewable energy and energy efficiency.
Based on feedback from our readers we have changed the format of our
newsletter from a pdf file-attachment to this email version. We do hope
that you are as enthusiastic about this new format as we are. We are
very interested in receiving your comments and suggestions.
During the February 2005 FINESSE regional consultative workshop in
Tunis, we presented the sub regional assessments that were carried out
on our behalf by five renowned energy experts. The discussions at the
workshop focussed on which priorities to give while implementing the
FINESSE program. An issue that kept on coming back is the abundant
hydro resource availability on the continent and its very limited
utilisation. Therefore, next to biomass, hydropower was selected as a
target technology for the FINESSE program. This edition of the FINESSE
newsletter lives upon that selection and features articles that
describe current initiatives in the field of hydropower on the
continent.
We further would like to use this opportunity to introduce you to the Clean Energy Investment Framework the African Development Bank is involved in together with the World Bank and other regional development banks.
Yogesh Vyas
Head, Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Unit ADB
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Hydropower in Africa
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In this overview article, renowned hydropower
specialist Daniel Theuri of Practical Action in Kenya describes the
role of micro hydropower in scaling up the access the energy agenda.
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African Ministerial Conference on hydropower
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The
African Ministerial Conference was held from 5 to 9 March in
Johannesburg, South Africa with the objective to agree on the plan of
action for developing huge hitherto untapped hydropower potential on
the continent. The conference was attended by the energy and water
ministers, chief executive officers of power utilities, experts, civil
society organizations and donors. The African Development Bank was
represented by Mr. A. R. Rakotobe (Mission Leader), Director
Infrastructure Department, and Mr. B. Ram, Principal Power Engineer,
Public Utilities Division North, East and South Region.
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More Power for Small Hydro in East Africa!
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Some of
the East African countries depend up to a large extent on hydro based
power generation. In Kenya around 70 % of all generated electricity
hails from -mostly- large hydro schemes. Whereas the potential for
large hydro power plants has generally been exhausted, many of the
countries in East Africa have yet a virtually untapped small hydro
potential that appears above all suitable for rural electrification.
Strange as it may seem, even in the recent period of drought in the
region, many of these small rivers kept flowing. With two different
project proposals under preparation the UNEP aims to promote the use of
electricity at competitive rates without any Greenhouse Gas emissions.
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African Microhydro Initiative Sub-Saharan Africa
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Performance improvement efforts in the modern electricity sector typically calls for power sector restructuring or unbundling of various market segments (production, transmission and distribution) with a measure of commercial principles through corporatization/management contracts towards further private participation in Electric Utility ownership structures. This process usually ends up with medium to long-term concessions contracts. The importance of assigning national rural electrification initiatives to dedicated rural energy agencies outside the operation of national monopoly utilities may have been underestimated and the impact of such arrangements on the performance improvements on main utilities -- in transitional settings – may have been severely underestimated. Where such initial efforts were launched, the focus conveniently remained on the conventional electricity sector and the November 2005 GEF Council approved African Microhydro Initiative appears to be Sub-Saharan Africa’s first large scale policy and operational experience involving UNDP, GEF and the AfDB in a concrete operational project.
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Additional resources
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In this section we will provide you with a list of
resources in case you would like to learn more about hydropower and its
applications. Reference is made to literature, web sites and
conferences/exhibitions.
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The Clean Energy Investment Framework
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In July 2005 the G8 countries met in Gleneagles to
discuss actions on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable
Development. The Gleneagles’ Plan of Action, by supporting measures to
help improve the investment environment, aims to shift a growing share
of investments in the energy sector towards cleaner or more efficient
energy technologies. In addition, ecosystems, societies and economies
are becoming increasing vulnerable to environmental and climate risks.
This is particularly the case in Africa.
Consequently, there is a need to develop an approach that will not only
facilitate the transfer of finance and technology but will also improve
the capacity of countries to adapt to climate change.
Within the G8 Action Plan, it was agreed that the World Bank and
regional development banks (RDBs) would create an Energy Investment
Framework (EIF) to address these issues. The purpose of this framework
is to accelerate investment in clean energy and energy efficiency and
to develop new approaches for adaptation. The African Development Bank
is firmly committed to contribute to this Investment Framework. The
FINESSE program initiated the internal ADB process to develop a Plan of
Action.
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This
newsletter is
published by the ADB FINESSE Africa program. The main aim of the
FINESSE program is to mainstream renewable energy and energy
efficiency projects in the portfolio of the African Development Bank.
The FINESSE program is made possible through a grant by the Dutch government.
More information on the program can be found on our web site at http://finesse-africa.org.
Contact
details
African Development Bank
Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction Unit (PSDU)
ADB FINESSE Africa Program
B.P. 323
1002 Tunis Belvedere
Tunisia
E-mail : finesse@afdb.org
Web: http://finesse-africa.org
Fax: (216) 71 10 37 75 |
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