Addis Ababa, 5 June 2024 (ECA) - The Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), and the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA) have launched a joint training programme on “Sharing Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Energy Storage Technologies (EST) for Africa’s Sustainable Development”.The training, which is running virtually from 4-14 June 2024 has attracted more than 140 participants from 25 African countries, who hail from transport and energy ministries, energy commissions, power companies, and academia, as well as ECA and AfDB.
Hanan Morsy, Deputy Executive Secretary and Chief Economist at the ECA, said at the opening session that EVs could play a key role in climate change mitigation, energy transition, and value chain development, and that ECA would continue to support African member States in EV development, energy transition and industrialisation at large, through a value-chain approach. She also thanked the partners for working together with ECA on this meaningful training programme.
Liu Xiaoming, Counsellor of the Mission of China to the African Union, noted in his opening remarks that the Mission would continue to promote and deepen China-Africa cooperation, through EVs and EST, experience sharing, technology transfer, and partnerships between Chinese and African enterprises as pathways to support Africa’s energy transition.
Abel Didier Tella, Director General of APUA, stressed in his opening remarks the crucial role of EVs and EST for Africa’s energy transition, highlighting continental frameworks such as the African Continental Master Plan (CMP) and the Africa Single Electricity Market (AfSEM) which need to be well integrated to meet universal energy access targets.
For his part, Wu Xuan, Secretary General of GEIDCO in the opening session highlighted the pressure faced by African countries in access to energy and energy transition. To advance the sustainable development agendas, African countries “could transform their potential in renewable energies and critical minerals resources into industrial advantages, through the development of local value chains and coordinated promotion of electrification, industrialisation, and sustainable development.”
The training modules cover a wide range of topics including charging facilities, network security, energy storage, EV standards and initiatives, electric public transportation system, heavy transportation vehicles and value chains, agricultural EVs and value chains, EV maintenance, and battery reliability. Valuable contributions to the training course have been provided by NR Electric, State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) Energy Research Institute, Smart Car Networking Technology Co. Ltd., Xiamen Golden Dragon Bus Co. Ltd, Foton Cummins Power, and Jiangsu Jinpeng.
The capacity training programme is part of ECA, GEIDCO, and APUA joint initiative which intends to establish a platform for sharing and cooperation on EVs and EST among R&D centres, manufacturers, and stakeholders. After the training, country-specific analysis and roadmap planning on EVs and EST will be carried out on a need basis.
About ECA
Established by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) of the United Nations (UN) in 1958 as one of the UN’s five regional commissions, the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa’s (ECA’s) mandate is to promote the economic and social development of its Member States, foster intraregional integration and promote international cooperation for Africa’s development. ECA is made up of 54 Member States and plays a dual role as a regional arm of the UN and as a key component of the African institutional landscape. For more information, visit: www.uneca.org
About GEIDCO
Launched in March 2016 with its headquarters in Beijing, China, Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO) is a non-profit international organization dedicated to promoting the sustainable development of energy worldwide. The purpose of GEIDCO is to promote the establishment of a Global Energy Interconnection (GEI) system, to meet global power demand with clean and green alternatives, to implement the United Nations “Sustainable Energy for All” and climate change initiatives, and to serve the sustainable development of humanity. For more information, visit: www.geidco.org.cn
About APUA
APUA is the Association of Power Utilities of Africa, a non-profit continental organization that gathers African Power Utilities and companies, as well as foreign organizations involved in development of the African Power Sector. APUA was established in 1970 with its headquarters in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. It was known as the Union of Producers, Transmitters and Distributors of Electrical Energy of Africa (UPDEA). The new name branding occurred in 2012. APUA’s objective is to bring together African Power Utilities and stakeholders to make electric power more accessible, affordable and reliable for African communities. APUA has currently 57 active members and 30 affiliate, associate and partner members. For more information, visit: https://apua-asea.org/
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Economic Commission for Africa
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