Launched in 2019 by the Groupe de la Banque african development (AfDB) and its partners, the “Desert to Power” initiative aims to make Africa a powerhouse of renewable energy
Sharm El Sheikh, 13 November. An African initiative aimed at increasing solar production capacity and thus providing 250 million people with access to electricity throughout the Sahel region, for socio-economic development purposes, continues to attract financial support from the whole world.
Launched in 2019 by the Groupe de la Banque african development and its partners, the “Desert to Power” initiative aims to make Africa a renewable energy powerhouse.
11 countries will benefit from the lighting
“Desert to Power” will develop and supply 10 gigawatts of solar power by 2030 in 11 countries, where 64% of the population lives without electricity – with consequences for education, health and business.
Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Eritrea will benefit.
During an event organized on 11 November in Sharm el-Sheikh as part of the 27th United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP27), the Global Alliance for Energy in the service of people and the planet, represented by its Executive Director for Africa, Joseph Nganga, announced the allocation of $35 million to the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA) under this initiative.
SEFA is a special multi-donor fund created to provide catalytic finance to unlock private sector investment in renewable energy.
Norway’s Minister for International Development, Anne Beathe Tvinnereim, announced a contribution of 300 million Norwegian kroner (about $29 million) from her government to support SEFA.
Facilitating private sector investment in the Sahel
Under the theme “Desert to Power – Transforming the Sahel to move from fragility to resilience and prosperity”, the event organized by the AfDB under the Africa Pavilion of COP27 brought together ministers, development partners and private sector representatives to discuss how to facilitate private sector investment in the Sahel.
The event was an opportunity to present the “Desert to Power” program in detail to potential partners and to rally investors for its implementation.
Addressing the audience, including ministers from the Sahel region, the President of the African Development Bank, Akinwumi Adesina, highlighted the importance of electricity for ensuring security and reducing poverty.
“Desert to Power”, an investment of 20 billion dollars
“Desert to Power” is a $20 billion initiative that aims to produce 10,000 megawatts of solar power. It will be the largest solar area in the world and we want to make it a real economic activity […] that will generate productive energy for the countries of the Sahel to use,” said Mr. Adesina.
AfDB Number 1 said the initiative is multi-pronged, including utility-scale solar power generation, decentralized energy solutions, transmission and distribution, utility reform, and an efficient policy and regulatory environment to protect investments.
He said the program would contribute significantly to climate action, creating a great green wall against desertification and other impacts of climate change.
Akinwumi Adenisa also referred to the $1 billion G5 Sahel Financing Facility that the Bank’s Board of Directors approved earlier this year, which has $150 million in concessional resources. of the Green Climate Fund and is a key mechanism to help de-risk private sector solar projects.
The President of the Bank thanked the heads of state and ministers of the various host countries for their support for the initiative.
Ms. Tvinnereim, Norwegian Minister for International Development, underlined the role of renewable energy in sustainable development: “We must ensure that there is access to renewable energy and avoid old fossil emissions. To deal with the crisis in the region, we need good will from the governments of the region. We also need sustainable access to renewable energies and the “Desert to Power” program being developed by the African Development Bank answers these crucial questions. »
Mohamed Bazoum from Niger lends his support
Niger’s President Mohamed Bazoum intervened via video link, reiterating his government’s support for the programme. The Ministers of Energy of Mauritania and Niger, as well as high-level representatives of the main partners of “Desert to Power” – including Power Africa, the Swedish International Development Agency, the European Commission, the International Agency for renewable energies, the Green Climate Fund, ACWA Power and the Moroccan Renewable Energy Agency (MASEN) — also reaffirmed their support.
Mr. Nganga, from the Global Energy Alliance, said the Alliance would also support the de-risking of investments made in Desert to Power infrastructure, as well as innovative solutions that would enable the success of the program.