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Electrification experts from across Africa compared details of ground-level implementation of projects at a meeting in Dakar, Senegal on November 14-16.

The second meeting of the Africa Electrification Initiative (AEI) brought together 230 representatives of energy ministries, utilities, rural energy agencies, private companies, universities and research centers.  The primary focus of discussion was on contrasting institutional approaches to electrification, with a focus on rural energy agencies and funds.

The AEI network has grown since the original meeting in Maputo, Mozambique in 2009.  That workshop brought together 170 practitioners, and opened a discussion of the broader challenges they face in supplying electricity across the region.  Since then, practitioners have been able to access an online database of relevant documentation, discussion papers and ideas forums, available through the AEI website.

Some of the common challenges identified by participants in Dakar included creating low-cost technical solutions for grid extension, setting workable tariffs for rural electricity, improving the efficiency of hybrid mini-grid systems, increasing the use of smart meters, and leveraging climate funds and carbon finance to improve access to electricity.

“Energy access is one of Africa’s great challenges,” says Lucio Monari, Sector Manager for Energy, Africa Region, World Bank. “It’s vital that we have this type of exchange of experience between countries and electrification practitioners, to identify what works and what doesn’t. Together, participants at Dakar were able to pass on ideas about innovation and how to build local capacities.   In the short period since Maputo, AEI has built a substantial bank of knowledge, establishing itself as an important tool for sharing best practice. This offers great potential for achieving sustainable results on the ground.”

Among the more popular sessions was one on ways to make solar photovoltaic (PV) solutions sustainable, while another presented examples of utilities that have successfully managed to reduce investment costs using new technical designs and standards. A discussion of financing charges for grid scale-up was enhanced by examples from Kenya, Senegal, Uganda and South Africa, which addressed how to support access for poor households. Among participants, there was recognition that there are workable methods to reduce costs without compromising service standards.

Several workshop participants in Dakar called for a future meeting to be held in a rural area where electrification challenges are a reality. For many delegates, a highlight of the meeting was a Lighting Africa exhibition, which offered a chance to see new products first-hand.

This workshop comes at an important juncture, as the UN has just launched the Sustainable Energy for All campaign with an overall goal of universal access and increased deployment of renewables and energy efficiency by 2030. 

 “The true impact of this workshop will be demonstrated in follow-up actions at the country level, ultimately leading to increased energy access, enhanced economic and social development, and reduced poverty,” said Demba Balde, Acting Country Manager for Senegal, World Bank. “Improving the lives and livelihoods of the energy poor throughout Sub-Saharan Africa will be our greatest achievement.”

The AEI Dakar workshop wasco-organized by the Rural Electrification Agency of Senegal (ASER), the European Union Energy Initiative Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI PDF), and the Africa Energy Unit of the World Bank through support from the Africa Renewable Energy Access Program (AFREA) and ESMAP.