The ISA convened its Sixth Meeting of the Regional Committee for the Africa Region in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, with ministerial and senior government representatives from 28 countries in attendance to chart the course for the sustained and equitable roll-out of solar in the Africa region. 46 African countries are members, comprising 38 full members and eight signatory members. Currently, there are active engagements with 38 of these countries, reflecting a strong commitment to advancing solar energy initiatives across the continent.
Ministerial and senior government representatives from various countries gathered to strategise on the equitable expansion of solar energy across the region. Discussions focused on enhancing programmatic support for solar deployment, which is crucial for accelerating the adoption and implementation of sustainable energy solutions.
At the opening ceremony, the International Solar Alliance announced the inauguration of five demonstration projects in 2024 from the African region. These include pilots in the Republic of Djibouti, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the Republic of the Gambia, the Republic of Mauritius, and the Republic of Senegal.
Dedicating these five demonstration projects to the countries, Dr Ajay Mathur, Director General of the International Solar Alliance, noted, “These demonstration projects go beyond simply providing energy; they are catalysts for progress and symbols of global collaboration. At the International Solar Alliance, we are steadfast in our commitment to creating more of these impactful projects that can uplift underserved communities and set powerful examples that can be replicated and scaled across our Member Countries.”
The demonstration projects aim to demonstrate the potential of various solar technology applications in these Member Countries, empowering them to scale up such initiatives in the future. By supporting innovative pilot projects, the ISA seeks to showcase the feasibility and effectiveness of solar solutions, promoting their widespread adoption across diverse regions and inspiring replication in each country.
Dr Mathur added, “We envision a future where clean, sustainable energy is a cornerstone of development and where solar power elevates communities and protects our environment. Today, we celebrate the innovation, collaboration, and shared vision that have brought these projects to life. Let us continue working together, tapping into the potential of solar energy to light the path toward a more prosperous, sustainable, and equitable world for all.”
H.E. Mr Habtamu Itefa Geleta, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry Water and Energy, Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia; Mr Gouled Mohamed Djama, Director of Energy, Ministry of Energy in Charge of Natural Resources, Republic of Djibouti; Mr Toolsy Garburrun, Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, Republic of Mauritius; and Mr Diouma KOBOR, Director General, National Agency for Renewable Energy, Republic of Senegal; and H.E. Mr Nani Juwara, Hon’ble Minister, Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, Republic of Gambia were present on occasion and echoed the ability to transform challenges into opportunities via the demonstration projects set up by ISA. They underlined the impact these demonstration projects will have on the life and economy of the people of their respective countries.
In his keynote address, H.E. Sansan Kambile, Hon’ble Minister of Justice and Human Rights, Cote d’Ivoire, emphasised the strategic importance of embracing solar energy and the essential role of ISA in providing critical tools and fostering collaborative partnerships. He stated, “We must foster fruitful cooperation among Member Countries to successfully deploy solar energy across our nations with the help of the International Solar Alliance. Côte d’Ivoire has benefited from various solar energy projects implemented by the ISA, including the STAR-Centre. Thanks to this centre, both public officials and private sector professionals will gain the necessary knowledge about solar energy innovations. The official opening is set to take place in the coming days.”
A Special Address was delivered by the H.E. Mr. John Kobina Abbam Sanie, Hon’ble Deputy Minister of Energy, Ministry of Energy, Republic of Ghana.
Meeting Highlights
The meeting spotlighted the significant strides made through ISA’s flagship initiatives, such as the Solar Technology Application Resource-Centre (STAR-C), SolarX Startup Challenge, Global Solar Facility, and the ‘Solar for She’ initiative. These programmes are pivotal in building capacity, sparking innovation, boosting investment in the solar sector, and improving women’s access to energy and economic opportunities.
Meeting proceedings also focused on the Strategic Regional Plan tailored specifically for Africa. This plan aligns with ISA’s broader Five-Year Strategic Plan (2022-2026). This initiative recognises the unique challenges and significant opportunities within the Region. It outlines targeted strategies to enhance solar energy deployment, attract investment, and strengthen our capacity to meet the Region’s unique energy demands. Also deliberated was the Country Partnership Framework, a comprehensive programmatic strategy aimed at enhancing collaboration with Member Countries on various programmes and projects.
To overcome the challenge of data gap, which impedes decision-making and progress in the solar sector. ISA’s Solar Data Portal was presented at the meeting. This innovative platform consolidates essential solar data indicators from reliable sources into a single, accessible hub. Bridging the data gap, the Solar Data Portal empowers solar energy professionals with actionable insights to drive innovation and progress. This initiative will enhance decision-making, foster collaboration, and accelerate the global transition to sustainable solar energy.
The discussions also underscored solar energy’s growing importance in Africa. It is recognised as a sustainable solution to the region’s pressing energy challenges. Africa’s abundant sunlight positions it as an ideal locale for solar power generation, and numerous initiatives are set to tap this potential.
Side events hosted on the margins of the Africa Regional Committee Meeting
A host of side events on the margins of the meeting addressed important issues. The ISA is supporting Member Countries in exploring innovative solar applications like agrivoltaics to enhance socio-economic impacts, particularly by integrating solar infrastructure with agriculture. A session was designed to strengthen ISA’s efforts by encouraging collaboration among Member Countries and partners to develop agrivoltaic projects and share experiences.
ISA is holding the first investor pitch session for the SolarX Startup Challenge 2023: Africa winners during its African Regional Committee Meeting, allowing them to present innovative ideas to leading investors.
A roundtable was hosted to discuss the current state and importance of standardising solar products and services in Africa, focusing on developing an ecosystem for testing and standardisation. It explored opportunities for capacity building and training to support these efforts, which are the ISA’s STAR Centre Initiative priorities.
On the sidelines of its African Regional Committee Meeting, ISA is also organising its inaugural Procurement Round Table, a dedicated session to engage with key vendors and partners across the continent.
ISA’s initiatives in Africa
The International Solar Alliance (ISA) is a global intergovernmental organisation dedicated to advancing solar power adoption for a carbon-neutral future. As a platform for international cooperation, ISA assists Member Countries in solar deployment across various sectors through policy enactment, standardisation, and investment mobilisation. Through innovative business models, policy advisory, and financial risk reduction, ISA promotes affordable solar solutions and facilitates access to solar training, data and insights for solar engineers and energy policymakers.
Under the aegis of its programmatic support, ISA is developing business models and demonstrating the potential of solar energy. Initiatives such as solarising healthcare facilities and schools, utility-scale floating solar, and portable solar solutions for agricultural applications are underway.
Supporting harmonising policies and regulations across its Member Countries, its current interventions include formulating the National Solar Energy Roadmap for Madagascar, Chad, Guinea, and Uganda, tailored to the country’s priority interventions. The ongoing regulatory support to facilitate the growth of the solar energy sector ensures a supportive environment across Member Countries like Ethiopia, Nigeria, Uganda, Chad, Djibouti, Madagascar, Somalia, Gambia, and Liberia.
ISA’s capacity-building and training efforts have made a significant impact, reaching 2,282 participants from the Africa region. The training programmes focused on solar pumping systems, solar mini-grids, solar rooftops, and solar parks, enhancing the region’s expertise in solar technology.
The Solar Technology Application Resource Centre (STAR-C) initiative is helping build the required human capacity and skills within Member Countries to undertake energy transition independently. STAR-Cs have been successfully established in Ethiopia, Somalia, and Cote d’Ivoire. Progress is also underway in Tanzania, Uganda, Senegal, and Madagascar. Discussions are ongoing with Djibouti, Mauritius, and Guinea.
The SolarX Startup Challenge seeks innovative, cost-effective, and scalable local solutions to boost the solar startup ecosystem. The first edition focussed on Africa, receiving over 180 applications from 28 countries. The 20 winners included 10 different African nationalities, of which 7 were women-led enterprises.
Global Solar Facility and Viability Gap Funding, ISA-led innovative financing mechanisms, aim to scale solar energy.
Under the G20 2023 India Presidency, ISA launched the virtual Green Hydrogen Innovation Centre (GHIC); this Centre of Excellence supports GH’s production, utilisation, and trade, providing a platform for knowledge sharing and building competency across the GH value chain. GHIC serves as a dynamic one-stop gateway to provide access to the GH knowledge repository, GH value-chain insights mapped for 40 countries-including 6 African Countries – Namibia, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, and Algeria. A recently concluded training course in Cairo equipped officials from 14 countries with crucial green hydrogen policy expertise.
About the International Solar Alliance
The International Solar Alliance is an international organisation with 119 Member and Signatory countries. It works with governments to improve energy access and security worldwide and promote solar power as a sustainable transition to a carbon-neutral future. ISA’s mission is to unlock US$ 1 trillion of investments in solar by 2030 while reducing the cost of the technology and its financing. It promotes the use of solar energy in the Agriculture, Health, Transport and Power Generation sectors. ISA Member Countries are driving change by enacting policies and regulations, sharing best practices, agreeing on common standards, and mobilising investments. Through this work, ISA has identified, designed and tested new business models for solar projects; supported governments to make their energy legislation and policies solar-friendly through Ease of Doing Solar analytics and advisory; pooled demand for solar technology from different countries; and drove down costs; improved access to finance by reducing the risks and making the sector more attractive to private investment; increased access to solar training, data and insights for solar engineers and energy policymakers. With the signing and ratification of the ISA Framework Agreement by 15 countries on 6 December 2017, ISA became the first international intergovernmental organisation to be headquartered in India. ISA is partnering with multilateral development banks (MDBs), development financial institutions (DFIs), private and public sector organisations, civil society, and other international institutions to deploy cost-effective and transformational solutions through solar energy, especially in the least Developed Countries (LDCs) and the Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
