Energy for Africa: progress by small steps

KENYA: The Government is to invest €200,000 in sub-Saharan African projects designed to help some of its poorest people gain access to renewable energy, including small hydro schemes and biofuel production.

Minister for the Environment Dick Roche argues that the sum, though small, would make an "important contribution" to targeted projects in Ethiopia, Lesotho, Mozambique, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

The projects are being undertaken by the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), set up after the 2002 World Summit in Johannesburg with financial aid from 10 countries, of which Britain contributes nearly half of the 7 million total.

Mr Roche said the real strength of REEEP was its partnership approach involving governments, the private sector and community groups working together to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.

One of the projects to get Irish support will help small enterprises gain access to funding for the biodiesel industry, which would draw on Africa's agricultural potential and requires low technology and relatively low capital inputs.

Mr Roche said that implementing "deliverable" sustainable development projects in Africa was "central to the dialogue" at the UN Climate Change Summit, and he believed that "more progress can be made by taking small steps ".

One telling example cited by Ghanaian minister Abraham Odoom was his government's decision to introduce an energy-rating system for large electrical appliances, such as air-conditioning units, and to subsidise long-life bulbs.

Since this was done, the market share of low-energy CFL bulbs had risen from 1.5 per cent to more than 30 per cent. By 2020, Mr Odoom said this would save electricity equivalent to the production of a 250-megawatt power station.

Mr Roche said that if all of Europe were to follow Ghana's example, "we could close down some of the more troublesome power plants I have in mind". He made it clear later that he was referring to British nuclear stations rather than Moneypoint.