Ahead of the UN International Year for Sustainable Energy for All 2012, the focus of efforts in the field of energy for Africa’s poorest has shifted towards access, creating political momentum to achieve the ambitious goals set out in the framework of the Africa-EU partnership in this field.

Development cannot progress without energy. There can be no advancement, no higher standard of living nor economic growth without access to energy services. In achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), for developing countries the vital role of modern energy services is all too clear.

With more than 1 billion people worldwide lacking access to modern energy services, simultaneously the global demand for energy continues to increase. The EU Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF) is giving priority to the important role of energy in poverty alleviation. Founded in 2005 as a joint commitment by the EU Member States and the European Commission, the EUEI PDF recognises as part of its stated aims that access to modern and affordable energy services is a prerequisite for achieving the MDGs. To this end the EUEI PDF is amongst other things, providing secretarial services to the Africa EU Energy Partnership (AEEP), and in particular supporting the achievement of the AEEP´s 2020 Political Targets one of which is enhanced access to modern, affordable and sustainable energy services at national and regional level to at least an additional 100 million Africans by 2020.

Through the AEEP, Africa and Europe are working together to develop a shared vision and common policy solutions to stimulate specific actions that address the energy challenges of the 21st century. Some targets to be reached by 2020 include the installation of 10,000 MW of hydropower facilities; 5,000 MW of wind power capacity; 500 MW of all forms of solar energy capacity and tripling the capacity of other renewables, such as geothermal and modern bio-energy. These efforts are part of a broader mobilisation in this field with the objective of securing ‘universal energy access by 2030’ as announced by the United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki Moon in September 2010.

The Impact

In the challenge to accelerate the use of the vast potential of renewable energy in Africa the European Commission (EC) has contributed to several successful projects in Africa. Many examples exist of activities targeting improved energy access carried out in partnership and contributing positively to the achievement of the MDGs.

Mika Lasten, head of energy access projects implemented in Zimbabwe by project partner Practical Action, explains the existence of a vicious cycle where “since high poverty levels mean that people cannot afford modern energy sources, they turn to traditional sources instead". The possibilities for economic development offered by these sources are however limited. “This is also a gender issue”, he adds. “Women and children bear the burden of this energy imbalance.”

In Benin, Energising Development, or EnDev, implemented by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH in cooperation with the Dutch NL Agency has partnered with the local Benin Electric Energy Society, in implementing a six year project financed in part by the European Commission to provide the population in the rural areas with electricity through grid installation and densification.

Innovation is of utmost importance as this project has demonstrated through the introduction of innovative measures in the form of low cost techniques to optimise the electrical and mechanical grid sizing to reach even more villages. The project has empowered local small businesses to use electricity for income generating activities, thus helping to improve the daily income of the beneficiaries.

Similarly in Somalia ADRA, an international NGO, is supporting the provision of access to energy services by promoting the use of alternative and sustainable energy for rural households and institutions in the Puntland and Somaliland regions of the country in a three year project financed by the European Commission. The technology utilised are solar PV, wind, modern biomass and fuel saving stoves. As of October 2010, the project had directly benefited 16,755 people including schools, households, vocational training centres, health centres, and non state actors. The clean burning stoves consume 60% less firewood, helping to ensure environmental sustainability by easing the pressure on forests and concurrently have an impact on health by reducing indoor air pollution. The project has also brought about an improvement of knowledge and awareness on the use of renewable energy technologies by providing training and capacity building for entrepreneurs and small businesses to design and deliver particular technologies and services to their communities.

Appreciating the success of the project, Engineer Khalif, Director General of the Ministry of Public Works in Puntland commented that “it is rare to have this kind of workshop providing vocational skills free of charge, as previously, getting training from within was impossible, having to travel long distances abroad and pay for costly knowledge."

Looking Ahead

Despite the successes experienced in these projects, the gaps in energy access continue to pose a challenge in reversing the intertwined problems of poverty, underproduction and environmental degradation. However, universal access to energy is an achievable target. Efforts in this regard must be increased and include all relevant stakeholders.

It is worth highlighting that more emphasis is necessary on the production and collection of documentation that demonstrates the critical role of energy access for stamping out poverty in sub-Saharan Africa.  In a related project, Practical Action is contributing to a media campaign highlighting this role. The project, which will run until 2013, received a financial contribution of € 945.135 from the EC in the form of a Public Awareness grant.

The EUEI PDF as the ‘secretariat’ of the AEEP continues to support activities for improved energy security in Africa, having implemented more than 45 projects covering varying countries and different aspects of energy access. An illustration of this are a series of projects implemented successfully in Lesotho, Botswana, Malawi and Rwanda is the Biomass Energy Strategy (BEST) targeting the issue of safe and sustainable cooking fuels and sustainable use of biomass. Guidelines published will form the basis for the development of similar strategies in Mozambique, Tanzania and Ethiopia.