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East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE) 357 views

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General Background

ENERGY SUPPLY AND DEMAND

All of the EAC partner states remain heavily dependent on traditional solid fuels such as wood and charcoal, especially for household-level cooking and heating.

According to the EAC Regional Status Report, 2016, the share of biomass in primary energy consumption is lowest in Kenya, at 68%, and highest in Burundi, at more than 95%. Traditional biomass accounts for average 80% of the energy consumption in EAC partner states.  The share of petroleum products used as a primary energy source in EAC countries is relatively small compared to the use of traditional biomass, but it is still significant.

The implementation of stable and reliable electricity supply in the EAC Partner States is still challenging.  As the power grid is considered to be among the worst in Africa, resulting in low electrification rates as well as low average electricity consumption in the region.

Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Opportunities

Over recent decades, a broad range of proven renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and solutions have been developed. Renewable energy systems and energy efficiency measures can be associated with various benefits and opportunities for East African countries.

Renewable energy-based economic development is not only more sustainable, as it relies on local energy sources and prevents negative environmental effects, but it also creates local employment opportunities. With increasing deployment of Renewable energy technologies and the declining costs, renewable energy technologies are becoming increasingly competitive.

A promising way to achieve energy independence is the creation of a wealth-generating, regional, renewable energy (RE) and energy efficiency (EE) industry. This is more so the case, as the EAC economies are dominated by agriculture, where there are vast opportunities for using sustainable energy technologies such as water pumping, biogas production and solar drying.

The agriculture sector provides 75-90% of employment to the EAC partner states population. Opportunities for economic growth and the use of renewable energy and increased process efficiency exist in large-scale farming, irrigation, value addition; processing, pre-packing and specialization, in order to exploit regional and international markets; the opportunity for industrial growth exists in locally producing inputs for use in the agricultural sector.

Energy is considered a key factor in achieving sustainable development and poverty reduction in the EAC region.

The EAC region can benefit from the utilization of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and services, in the following way:

  • increased access to modern energy services in rural and remote areas;
  • investments in electricity generation capacity;
  • opportunities for engaging communities  in productive activities; and,
  • the enhanced delivery of social services such as health education, water, agricultural production; etc.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and services can foster the economic potential of the EAC region and contribute towards poverty reduction.

Most donor governments and international organizations have recognized the importance of integrating energy into development policies to promote sustainable and rural development by making available new and renewable energy sources, and improved energy efficiency for social services, rural households and productive needs in rural development programmes.

Access to clean, reliable and affordable energy services is essential for basic human needs; at the household level, and also for health centres, schools, and productive uses. With providing access to clean reliable and affordable energy services, the livelihoods in the poorest countries can be improved and it will drive local economic development on a sustainable basis.

Objectives and Mandate

EACREEE’s goal is to facilitate creation of an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency markets and investments, in order to contribute to:

  1. increased access of modern, affordable and reliable energy services
  2. energy security
  3. mitigation of negative effects (e.g. local pollution and GHG emissions)

The EACREEE plays a key role in promoting renewable energies and energy efficiency in the East African Community (EAC) region. Through its activities in the areas of policy, capacity development, knowledge management, and awareness raising, as well as business and investment promotion, EACREEE aims to create an enabling environment by mitigating existing barriers and in promoting a competitive sustainable energy market, as well as economies of scale in the EAC region. EACREEE will continue to execute regional projects programmes and activities in the above areas and in addition showing leadership in the coordination and harmonization of donor activities and acting as a regional hub for the SE4ALL initiative.

Scope and Mandate of the EACREEE

EACREEE has been mandated by the EAC Council of Ministers to promote renewable energies and energy efficiency in the EAC region.

The geographic scope of intervention of the Centre is defined in the following:

  • The Centre supports and executes RE&EE activities and projects which cover one or more EAC countries (Republics of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania).
  • The Centre focuses primarily on activities and projects with regional impact or national projects which demonstrate high potential for scaling-up or regional replication.
  • The Centre works in urban as well as periurban and rural areas. Due to the high relevance of decentralized RE&EE technologies and services for rural areas the Centre will run a special rural energy program (e.g. cooking, rural electrification).

The Centre promotes the following sustainable energy solutions:

  • All appropriate and sustainable renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, including also partly renewable energy based hybrid systems and mini-grids.
  • Small-scale and medium-scale hydro power projects
  • Biofuel projects which prove to be sustainable. In this context, EACREEE considers 2nd generation biofuels not competing with food crops for available land, complying with the following minimum criteria: lifecycle GHG reductions, including direct and indirect emissions, land use change, local added value, ecological and social standards.
  • Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) cooking projects are eligible due to their high relevance for low-income population groups.

Alignment with regional and international policies and strategies

EACREEE activities will contribute to:

  • the growth of the current levels of investment in sustainable energy services across the EAC Partner States
  • the objectives of the UN Sustainable Energy for All Initiative (SE4ALL) and the SDGs. The initiative aims at the achievement of three interlinked targets by 2030:
    • universal access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services;
    • doubling the rate of improvement in energy efficiency;
    • doubling the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix.
  • complementing the EAPP Master Plan Scenario, which aims to increase the regional electric generation capacity and interconnections in the ten EAPP countries by 2025.
  • the targets of the Regional Strategy on Scaling-up Access to Modern Energy Services in the East African Community by 2015:
    • access to modern cooking facilities;
    • universal access to electricity services for all urban and periurban poor;
    • access to modern energy services to all schools, clinics, hospitals and community centres;
    • access to mechanical power for heating and productive uses for all communities.

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