Energy for Africa

Research in Progress Seminar by Dr Jon Lovett

Dr Jon Lovett , Twente Centre for Studies in Technology and Sustainable Development ,  Twente , The Netherlands

Abstract

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has recently completed preparation of a new energy policy and strategy. This presentation presents a review of the constraints and opportunities tackled by this new strategy.

The current levels of energy access rates in Africa and the limited scope of energy infrastructure development call for urgent action. In Sub-Saharan Africa at least 625 million people do not have access to modern energy services and still rely exclusively on traditional biomass for cooking, heating and lighting. Recent studies estimate that 80% of the world's people without electricity live in rural Sub-Saharan Africa. Access to affordable modern energy services is essential for economic growth and human development.

The AfDB's energy strategy focuses on two building blocks:

• access to modern and improved energy services,
• and the fostering of clean energy.

To achieve this, the Bank has identified three areas of priority:

1. The first is to leverage resources: the AfDB can provide additional comfort to investors and who perceive the risk of the energy sector to be high because of its characteristic long maturation times and the high cost of technologies.
2. The second is to enable public-private partnerships by offering adequate instruments and supporting the improvement of governance issues at country level.
3. The third is to foster regional integration by developing regional infrastructure, strengthening the capacity of regional organizations and platforms as well as improving and harmonizing regulatory and institutional frameworks across regions.

Attracting private sector investors is as critical for a sustainable energy sector as it is enabling governance or promoting sound institutional frameworks.

See for more information:

Annet van Geen or Roy Huijsmans