A national workshop was conducted in Ethiopia on June 3, 2024, on the initiative of the Accelerated Partnership for Renewables in Africa (APRA). This country-led alliance of governments and stakeholders works to accelerate the deployment of renewables-based energy systems to enhance energy access, enable green industrialization, and improve economic and societal resilience.
APRA’s members include Kenya, Ethiopia, Ghana, Namibia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, and Zimbabwe with Denmark, Germany, UAE, and the US supporting the partnership and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) fulfilling the secretariat role. The national consultation brought together a broad range of national and international stakeholders working on the energy sector.
In the workshop, Yimeslal Tefera, Project Manager and a participant in EfD’s Inclusive Green Economy program (IGE Fellow) explained the existing national challenges in the energy sector, which include energy access issues, energy sector capacity issues, infrastructure issues, energy loss (efficiency issues), financial constraints, limited private sector involvement, power sector governance issues and absence of organized data management.
He highlighted key areas for the partnership to focus on including:
- Energy sector capacity building:
- Human resource development and technology
- Establishment of database management & MRV
- Infrastructure development
- Power generation and rehabilitation
- Transmission, substation, and distribution
- Energy efficiency improvement
- Standardization and energy auditing system
- Financial support
- Bilateral and multilateral support
- Access to carbon finance
- Private sector engagement
- Foreign and domestic private sector
Following the presentation, the participants discussed possible areas of collaboration to reduce the existing challenges in the country. Finally, the outcome of the national workshop will inform the national work plans, which will be developed to support and accelerate the ambitious renewable-based energy transition and consequent economic growth.
By: Asaye Ketema