AUC PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPMENT

OF BIOENERGY IN AFRICA

Presented by

Philippe NIYONGABO

Head of Energy Division

Department of Infrastructure and Energy

African Union Commission

Innovation Finance for Access to Energy

21 September 2015, Milano, Italy

1

Why Bioenergy is Important in Africa

� Over 80% of the African population are still depended

on traditional biomass for cooking and heating.

� Modern bioenergy is therefore central to achieving

SE4ALL.

� However, bioenergy is complex because of the nexus

with energy, water, food and land use.

� Therefore, investing in this important energy source for

Africa needs to be supported by well-designed, cross

sectoral policies.

� It is for this reason that the AUC led an African

Bioenergy Policy Framework and Guidelines

Why bioenergy is important to Africa?

� Enhancing energy security by reducing oilimports

� Empowering rural development

� Helping African countries move towards thegreen economy path

� Reducing traditional biomass consumption,therefore reducing deforestation and healthproblems and Empowering women role

� Enhancing gender with possible positive welfareimpacts

� Enhancing energy access in rural areas

Why demand is high for bioenergy in Africa?

�Africa has 60% of the world’s uncultivated land

�Africa has wide range of agro-ecological

zones that provides wide optimal spectrum for

growing wide range of energy crops

�Low labor cost

�Fuel cost is extremely high

�High cost of alternative renewable energy

sources

Challenges for bioenergy development in Africa

� Natural resources localized limitation

� Climate change

� Land tenure

� Production issues

� Trade issues

� Low agricultural productivity

� Poor knowledge base

� Weak capacity research and development support

� Technical and sustainability issues

� Low investment and private sector participation in the energy sector

� Lack of harmonized regional policy framework

Risks of bioenergy expansion in Africa

� worsen food insecurity

� environmental degrading

� rainforest clearance

Biofuels Development for Transport and

Household Sectors

� Implementing of the sustainable biofuel programme for

transport and household sector in collaboration with the UNECA;

� Carrying out Regional Training workshop on Biofuel Development for Transport and Household Sectors:

� Frist training workshop for the Eastern and Northern in Cairo, Egypt 14-18 September 2015

� Second training for the Southern in Mauritius, October 2015

� Third training workshop for the Western and Central in Senegal, November 2015

Strategy to unlock potential of

biofuels in Africa

� Strengthening the Capacity of African Countries to Promote the Use of Renewable Energy to Achieve Sustainable Development and Poverty Reduction by Implementing Biofuels Programme for Household and Transport Energy Use

� The biofuel industry in Africa will catapult the marginalised rural people into an inclusive growth i.e. important for Agenda 2063 of Africa

� Develop five case studies in five countries on the experience of enabling policies and regulatory reforms that facilitates for the adoption of the biofuels technologies.

Bringing the Biofuel Projects to

Bankability

� Organise workshops that promote PPPs

for sustainable power supply;

� Design bankable projects for biofuels,

financing and building capacity to

access energy finance from different

funding mechanisms.

� Projects are designed at country level

and presented at appropriate funding

mechanisms that will be defined in the

course of the implementation of this

project, such as ACEC and others.

MERCI

OBRIGADO

THANK YOU

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