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dam-l Sustain. Energy in Africa/LS
>From Sustainable Energy News (http://www.inforse.dk/inforse/senmay99/index.htm)
No. 25, May 1999
UNESCO Workshop Feb. '99
Shell's Initiative, South Africa
Student Forum, June '99
EIA
Training Course Fellowship in East Africa 1999
African Solar Council Meets in Senegal, July '99
SEED in South Africa
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UNESCO Workshop Supported the Local African Entrepreneur
Kumasi, Ghana, 22-26 February '99
A new breed of African entrepreneurs is entering the private renewable
energy technology (RET) market, where they have a vital role to play in the
commercialisation and sustainability of RET. There is a vital need to
strengthen these African entrepreneurs. They should also be encouraged to
develop
manufacturing capability through stimulation of demand for their products
and technical assistance from R&D institutions. This was one of the
recommendations of the UNESCO Workshop on Renewable Energy in West Africa
that was held in Kumasi, Ghana, from 22-26 February 1999. The
meeting with the theme "Towards Greater Utilisation of Renewable Energy in
the West African Sub-region", brought together RET stakeholders from
West Africa. AFREPREN/FWD, INFORSE regional coordinator, also presented a
paper on the status and the prospects. Other recommendations for
the region were:
- Efforts should be made to explore mobilisation of financial resources in
the informal sector so that these resources can be used to promote the
purchase
of renewable energy resources;
- Relevant bodies should be encouraged to develop appropriate standards for
the import and local manufacturing;
- Universities and R&D institutions should develop their capacity to design
projects that could attract financing from donor agencies. In this regard,
training in the preparation of project proposals should be organised for
university personnel and researchers; and,
- Network projects involving organisations in different countries should be
developed. The UNESCO-supported Renewable Energy Network was
recommended to facilitate the identification of specific projects that
would be implemented by collaborating institutions in different countries.
More information:
F.O. Akuffo or Abeeku Brew-Hammond, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
University of Science & Technology. 48 Okedee Road, Kumasi, Ghana.
Ph: 233-51-60231, fax: 233-51-60232/26026,
e-mail: foakuffo@africaonline.com.gh and Kite@ghana.com.
Shell's Renewable Initiative Starts in South Africa
Replicable Financing Route
Shell International Renewables (SIR), started its operations last year with
a mission to develop sustainable energy globally. This year, it has been
examining solar power and biomass solutions in Africa, India, and South
America. One SIR initiative is a project planned for South Africa in
collaboration with Eskom, the South African Utility. The Eskom Shell Solar
Home Systems (the joint venture company to be formed by Eskom and
SIR) will install the first 6,000 solar power systems over the next three
to four months. A total of 50.000 systems are expected to be in place after
a total
of 18-24 month period. The project will be marketed through a planned local
network of franchised outlets with intensive local community participation.
The public/private sector tie-up evident in the South African scheme offers
a replicable financing route else where in Africa. SIR, however requires
partners to make such schemes feasible. SIR is willing to contribute 50 %
of the resources required to implement the projects. Given Africa's limited
range of markets where commercially sustainable rural electrification
projects are feasible, multilateral financing agencies (e.g. the World Bank
and the
African Development Bank) are perceived as SIR's natural partners in
promoting renewable energy projects. Countries targeted include Morocco,
Ghana
and Botswana.
Source: FWD Kenya, INFORSE regional coordinator, Kenya.
Extracted from articles: Renewable Energy World (Nov.'98) James & James,
& African Energy (Jan.'99) Financial Times Energy.
Graduate Student Forum on Distributed Electricity Services in Africa
Cape Town, South Africa, 1-6 June '99
The Science, Technology and Environmental Policy Program of the Woodrow
Wilson School, Princeton University, together with other collaborating
institutions, is organising a forum to investigate the prospects for
distributed electricity services in developing countries with particular
focus on Africa.
The Forum will be held from 1-6 June 1999 in Cape Town. Participants will
include graduate students from the collaborating institutions and other
universities, Eskom (the South African electric utility) and officials from
South African Energy Ministries.
The core components of the Forum are:
- Preparation and presentation of policy papers by student participants
- Students workshops facilitated by expert participants to grapple with
difficult technical and policy issues; and
- A joint forum resolution making specific policy recommendations to
encourage economically efficient and environmentally progressive use of
distributed energy service concepts.
The forum is expected to:
- Educate student participants about trends in and prospects for
distributed electricity services with an emphasis on environment and
development
implications;
- Promote on-going collaboration among student and expert participants;
- Generate and disseminate creative policy oriented research regarding this
critical emerging field; and
- Influence public policy towards the rapidly evolving electricity sector.
More information: Daniel Kammen, STEP Program,
Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University,
Five Ivy Lane NJ 08544-1013, USA.
Ph: +1-609-258-2758, fax: +1-609-258-6082/2394,
e-mail: kammen@princeton.edu,
http://www.wws.princeton.edu/~forum/
EIA Training Course in East Africa '99
By Ulrik Jacobsen, FED, Denmark
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Fellowship is for NGOs and local
authorities.
It is organised by Forum for Energy and Development / INFORSE Secretariat,
Denmark.
Expenses are covered. Application deadline: 18 June 1999.
There is an insufficient recognition of the environmental impact of small
and medium scale development activities in which NGOs and local authorities
are likely to be involved. One major reason for this is a lack of local
expertise, suitable tools and methods for assessing environmental impact.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) training course in East Africa
has been designed to address these needs. The course is expected to enable
environmental NGOs and local authorities to conduct EIAs. It aims to
facilitate the integration of EIA in the mechanisms for planning, approving
and
funding of small and medium scale development activities.
Training will be in 3 parts:
17 July - 1 August 1999
Introduction course at Arusha, Tanzania.
1 August-21 November 1999
Practice of EIA in the participants' home country and organisation.
21-28 November 1999
Follow-up workshop at Arusha.
New Manual and Internet
Based on the practice, a manual will be worked out that will suit for the
local working conditions of NGOs and local authorities. In order to
continue and
institutionalise the newly acquired skills, an internet conference will be
set up which will serve as point of reference and quality control for
practitioners
of EIA.
Application - Fellowship
The target group is managers and employees from environmental NGOs - local,
national and international - and local authorities in Uganda, Tanzania and
Kenya. Women are encouraged to apply!
Applicants should contact the Danish Embassy in their home country for an
application form.
The deadline for submission of applications is: 18 June 1999.
The fellowship covers the expenses for participation in the workshops,
travelling and daily allowances. Some of the costs of the practice will be
paid as
well.
Organisers
The training is organised by FED (Forum for Energy and Development), a
Danish umbrella organisation of NGOs, and JEEP (Joint Energy and
Environment Projects) in Uganda with support from DANIDA (Danish
International Development Assistance). The project cooperates with the
offices of
the Danish Development NGO MS in Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania and the
International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI).
The course will take place at MS TCDC (Training Centre for Development
Co-operation) in Arusha, Tanzania.
More information: Ulrik Jacobsen,
Forum for Energy and Development (FED) /INFORSE Secretariat, P.O. Box 2059,
1301 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
Ph: +45 33121307, fax: +45 33121308, e-mail: inforse@inforse.dk,
http://www.inforse.dk/fed.
African Solar Council Meets
Dakar, Senegal, 6-9 July 1999
By Secou Sarr, ENDA -TM, Senegal INFORSE Regional Coordinator .
Since the World Solar Summit at Harare in Zimbabwe in 1996 which led to the
adoption of the World Solar Program, various meetings have been held
throughout the world about the promotion of sustainable energy. The
implementation of the Program has already started at different levels.
Framework
for consultation at a regional level has been made to accompany the
execution of the Program.
It is with this perspective that the Constitutive Meeting of the African
Solar Council will be held in Dakar, Senegal on 6-9 July 1999.
The aim of the Meeting will be to put in place an African framework of
consultation, and orient and support countries in the implementation of
Solar
Programs. Another objective is to strengthen the actors in the domain of
solar energy, principally at the state level so that states can commit
themselves
further to the promotion of sustainable energy.
States, NGOs, institutes, national research centers, electrical companies
and associated potential members are invited to this Meeting, which is
under the
direction of Mr. Abdou Diouf, the President of the Republic of Senegal and
President of the African Solar Council.
More information:
Secou Sarr, ENDA TM Energy Program, 54 rue Carnot,
BP. 3370, Dakar, Senegal.
Ph: +221-8-225983/82224 96,
fax: +221-8-2175 95/8235157,
e-mail: energy2@enda.sn,
http://www.enda.sn/energie/indexnrj.htm
SEED - New Program Started in South Africa
A new program, SEED (Sustainable Energy, Environment and Development)
started in South Africa. Its aim is to build capacity in local authorities
and
service providers thorough training, information campaigns and demonstrations.
The advisor is Rene Karottki from OVE, the Danish Organisation from
Renewable Energy. He moved from Denmark to South Africa to work on the
project in the next 2.5 years. He has been one of the Secretaries of
INFORSE and one of the editors of this newsletter since the network was
established
in 1992.
In the next issue, we will have a longer article on the SEED.
SEED program
http://www.seedlinks.org.za.
- Urban SEED, Energy & Development Group,
att. Project Manager Sarah Ward, PO Box 261,
Noordhoek 7985, South Africa.
Ph: +27 21 789 2920, fax: +27 21 789 2954,
e-mail: admin@edg.co.za,
http://www.edg.co.za
- Rural SEED, Energy for Development Research Centre,
att. Project Manager Bill Cowan, University of Cape Town,
Private Bag, Rondebosch 7701, South Africa.
Ph:+27 21 6503230, fax:+27 21 6502830,
e-mail: energy@energetic.uct.ac.za,
http://www.edrc.uct.ac.za
- SEED Program Advisor:
Rene Karottki, SEED program at the above addresses.
e-mail: rene@energetic.uct.ac.za,
Ph: +27 21 6503230.
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Lori Pottinger, Director, Southern Africa Program,
and Editor, World Rivers Review
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way, Berkeley, California 94703, USA
Tel. (510) 848 1155 Fax (510) 848 1008
http://www.irn.org
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