Sierra Leone Telegraph: 01 February 2023:
Actions beneath the brand new Regional Emergency Photo voltaic Energy Intervention Mission (RESPITE) have formally begun in Freetown to extend entry to electrical energy to tens of millions of current and future customers in Chad, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. .
Based on a World Financial institution assertion printed yesterday, RESPITE – a $311 million regional venture supported by the World Financial institution and authorised on December 20, 2022, with authorized agreements signed at the moment – goals to quickly growing the capability of renewable power linked to the grid and strengthening the regional integration of the taking part international locations.
The World Financial institution says West Africa has one of many lowest charges of electrification, with 220 million individuals residing with out entry, coupled with a number of the highest electrical energy prices in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The rise within the worth of oil – because of the warfare in Ukraine – will increase the money owed of the electrical utilities, and the international locations face a severe disaster of electrical energy provide that threatens their financial progress, the the World Financial institution assertion learn.
As well as, international locations within the area depend on oil-based energy vegetation to satisfy rising demand. Along with the detrimental impression on the local weather, this results in greater tariffs for customers.
“We pay extra for power at the moment than 18 months in the past. The very excessive and rising power costs proceed to have a detrimental impression on different sectors of our economies,” stated President Julius Maada Bio, President of Sierra Leone, who led the official signing of RESPITE financing agreements, within the presence of official delegations from Chad, Liberia, Togo, West Africa Energy Pool, World Financial institution, and different essential stakeholders.
“This regional intervention could be very vital within the brief time period. In the present day, our international locations are taking a daring step in the best course. RESPITE is the start of a revolution in power provide and entry,” added to the president.
RESPITE will assist cut back greenhouse fuel (GHG) emissions by financing the set up and operation of roughly 106 megawatts of photo voltaic photovoltaic energy with batteries and storage techniques, 41 megawatts of hydroelectric energy capability growth, and thru supporting electrical energy distribution and transmission interventions in 4 international locations.
The venture additionally features a regional method, which gives $20 million to assist the West Africa Energy Pool (WAPP) to develop the potential for electrical energy commerce in West Africa and to facilitate the sharing of information amongst member international locations. in ECOWAS.
As emphasised by Mr. Bernard Hessou, WAPP Director of Planning, Funding Programming and Environmental Safeguards, “RESPITE absolutely helps WAPP in reaching its objectives of increasing entry to aggressive and climate-friendly electrical energy provide for the residents of ECOWAS This may assist to create new alternatives for bettering the standard of life whereas offering further help to WAPP within the preparation of its precedence tasks and the institution of a regional electrical energy market within the international locations of ECOWAS.
Based on the World Financial institution, RESPITE affords a extra sustainable and inexpensive answer to the cleaner power sector and can pave the way in which for the bold growth of unpolluted power technology sooner or later in West Africa.
As a part of the launch, a Regional Power Sector Roundtable was held earlier than the Signing Ceremony to particularly focus on how the deployment of renewable power will help international locations decrease prices, cut back emissions, and guarantee common power entry to help the financial transformation of West Africa.
“RESPITE enhances different current tasks within the area by including the primary aggressive and publicly bought clear and inexpensive renewable power to the area’s energy combine, whereas additionally selling regional integration, increasing the potential for energy commerce, and improvement of an enabling atmosphere for the mixing of renewable power sooner or later,” stated Ms. Boutheina Guermazi, World Financial institution Director for Regional Integration for Sub-Saharan Africa, Center East and Northern Africa.
