By Haruna Gimba
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) approved a $6 million grant to launch the initial phase of the Regional Desert Energy Program to Feed West Africa.
Desert to Power, a AfDB-led initiative, is expected to transform the Sahel by harnessing the region’s abundant solar potential.
Grant funding, from the 15th Regional Operations Envelope of the African Development Fund, will go to the West African Power Pool (WAPP) to conduct pre-feasibility studies for the construction of the Sahel transmission backbone network that will connect regional solar energy parks in the five countries.
The Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS) Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) will also receive funding to expand decentralized energy systems as part of an ECOWAS Regional Mini-Grid Program. Board approval was made on July 1, 2021.
The financing will also help eliminate the risks of energy investments by preparing the transmission infrastructure to connect the countries of the Sahel region and harness a greater share of electricity from solar energy.
Health Reporters learnt that it is expected to pave the way for energy trading in a regional electricity market. The G-5 Sahel countries are Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Mauritania and Niger.
“The Sahel Backbone is synonymous with the West African Power Pool’s push to strengthen interconnectivity between the national ECOWAS power systems, increase the coverage area beyond the ECOWAS geographic space, and increase the renewable energy component within the mix. energy,” said the Secretary General of the West African Power Pool, said Mr. Siengui Apollinaire Ki.
“The approval of the financing by the African Development Bank represents a concrete step towards harnessing the solar potential of the Sahel region.”
Mr. Bah FM Saho, Acting Executive Director of ECREEE, said: “Funding for the Desert to Power Initiative will allow ECREEE to increase efforts in clean energy mini-grids and improve the availability of locally qualified personnel through technician certification.“
The West Africa Regional Program will contribute to the overall goal of 10,000 MW of new solar generation capacity, providing 250 million people with access to electricity by 2030.
“As the regional roadmap for Desert to Power takes shape, this program is presented as a timely enabler for large-scale and concerted solar deployments in the G5 Sahel region, and will help accelerate the energy transition,” he said. Dr. Daniel Schroth, Acting Director of the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Bank.
