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African and Islander nations going for small scale, off-grid, renewable technology

Africa: First African Renewable Energy Confab in Accra All Africa, BY AYUUREYISIYA KAPINI ATAFORI, 8 JUNE 2012  “….Off-grid technology is extremely important throughout Africa with many of the continent?s inhabitants without access to the grid.

…….A pioneering role in renewable energy development in Africa has been taken by Cape Verde. The West African islands have set a goal of 50 per cent renewable energy by 2020. Abrao Andrade Lopez, Director General of the Ministry of Industry and Energy, announced that the country was currently running a study to explore how to achieve 100 per cent renewable energy.

In a related development, decreasing dependency on oil imports encouraged 39 of the small island developing states (SIDS) in Africa, the Caribbean, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific to meet in Barbados to work out energy efficiency plans.

Islands like Tonga and Tokelau plan to become fully energy independent by 2013, and others are following suit. The small island developing states are writing the stories of their future, said Veerle Vandeweerd, Director of Environment and Energy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

UNDP’s Resident Representative in Barbados, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough,
warned that rising oil prices could lead to economic and social
instability in energy-importing SIDS. Phasing out fossil fuel
subsidies, building local renewable energy sectors, investing in green
jobs and strengthening social safety nets for people whose livelihoods
depend on imported energy is critical for gaining energy independence
and poverty eradication, she said.

Led by Cape Verde, Africa’s island nations have already begun making
headway in the arena of renewable energy. Seychelles is looking for
more support via Abu Dhabi-based Masdar to develop its renewable
energy particularly utilising its enormous wind energy potential.
Mauritius is boosting its renewable energy across the board, including
wind, solar, hydro-power, waste-to-energy and biofuels, hoping to
increase its renewable energy production to about 40 per cent.

Other African islands that need, to increase their renewable energy
practices include Sao Tome and Principe, Comoros and Madagascar. Yet
with all the pressure to decrease fossil fuel exports, it is only a
matter of time before the island-states catch up with their other
island nation counterparts.
http://allafrica.com/stories/201206080731.html

June 9, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | decentralised, OCEANIA