Challenges

Although more than 70 percent of households in Ghana today have access to electricity, this national average belies a striking urban-rural disparity, as only 40 percent of rural households have such access. Similarly, in Zambia, most rural areas are not connected to the national grid and only 3 percent of the rural population has electricity. In trying to address the insufficient access to electricity, the government of Ghana had several policies and instruments in place to regulate the energy sector and promote renewable energy. However, significant challenges remained, which revolved around remaining gaps in the institutional and regulatory framework, the capacity of executors to develop and run viable renewable energy businesses, inadequate functioning of technical and research institutions, and skepticism towards renewable resources due to cultural reasons or perceived business risks. In Zambia, a National Energy Policy was developed in 2008, and steps were taken to strengthen regulations and institutional frameworks for Renewable Energy (RE). However, like in Ghana, despite these efforts, significant barriers remained. The main barriers concerned the ineffective regulatory framework, lack of technical capacity for Renewable Energy Technology (RET) and weak government capacity to evaluate technical and financial proposals, compounded by lack of administrative coordination and the sparseness of the RET market in Zambia.

Toward a Solution

To help rural communities in Ghana and Zambia gain access to electricity, Denmark funded two trilateral projects on renewable energy technology transfer (RETT) with Ghana and Zambia. The projects have a strong focus on enabling coherent South-South cooperation between China and African countries to promote the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative. The projects aim to adapt Chinese experience and technical skills to promote the production of renewable energy technologies in Africa. The projects take a holistic approach by operateing both at: 1) the upstream level, supporting the creation of an enabling environment for technology transfer and invigorating the capacity for South-South Cooperation between China, Ghana and Zambia; and 2) the downstream level, in terms of actual transfer and demonstration of technologies with potential upscaling by the private sector.

The Ghana/Zambia/China Renewable Energy Technology Transfer Project is a flagship project in piloting UNDP’s approach to trilateral cooperation. By combining the partner country’s needs and expertise with Chinese experience and technical know- how, the trilateral approach transfers knowledge and skills to promote mutual benefits for the countries involved. Through this approach, UNDP serves as a knowledge broker, a capacity developer and a facilitator to respond to the countries’ needs and provide a platform for knowledge exchange visits and events.

Many relevant partners from China, Ghana, and Zambia, are collaborating on these projects, including Ghana’s Energy Commission, China’s Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) and Zambia’s Department of Energy in Zambia, together with the UNDP Country Offices in Accra, Beijing and Lusaka. All partners have facilitated the exchange of expertise and technology among China, Ghana and Zambia. The following initiatives were taken via a participatory approach:

1.       Workshops and matchmaking sessions were held in China, Ghana and Zambia to facilitate the exchange of best practice as well as to establish solid foundations for stakeholder alliances that include the private sector;

2.       Several delegations from China visited Ghana and Zambia at the behest of MOST to engage in face-to-face meetings to coordinate the development of the demonstration projects;

3.       The Energy Commission in Ghana and the Department of Energy in Zambia have dispatched several delegations to China to obtain know-how, facilitate demonstration projects and participate in match-making events; and

4.       UNDP Country Offices in Accra, Beijing and Lusaka have served as bridges among all parties involved, coordinating with all relevant parties to facilitate and supervise the entire RETT process.

The projects have achieved the following outcomes:

1.       The pre-feasibility study and selection of transferable renewable energy technology were completed and a database for RETT solutions was established;

2.       The project website, an online matchmaking platform, was launched in both Chinese and English;

3.       Alliance technology companies and research institutes supporting RETT in Ghana, Zambia and other African partner countries were set up in China;

4.       Annual trainings on solar, hydro and biogas technologies and key processes of system design for stakeholders in China and Zambia have been held to remove knowledge barriers for RETT;

5.       The National Level Renewable Energy Master Plan for Ghana was finalized and submitted for parliamentary approval;

6.       In Zambia we are building demonstration projects in solar, biogas, cookstove and Hydro power;

7.       In China we have developed a South-South cooperation center for renewable technology exchange anchored in MOST.

Trilateral cooperation, an integral part of South-South cooperation, is an emerging and innovative modality that enables countries to share and exchange knowledge and experiences. Trilateral projects identify specific added value and comparative strengths among partner countries (China-Ghana-Zambia) and UNDP in a South-South cooperation format in which all partners contribute and benefit from the cooperation.

Furthermore, the projects have enabled the formation of a learning platform for China, Ghana and Zambia to engage and cooperate at the international level in renewable energy technology and skills transfer. Future engagements to accelerate sustainable development and demand-driven South-South cooperation in the energy sector are achievable through further discussion and cooperation between relevant stakeholders.

The trilateral cooperation model is itself replicable and the lessons from the project, on creating enabling environments for renewable energy technology transfer, can be adapted to benefit other country settings. In 2019, UNDP launched two new trilateral projects on RETT with Ethiopia, Sri Lanka and China. They are now cost-shared by the Ministry of Commerce of China and are based on the same trilateral model, experience and know-how drawn from the China-Ghana-Zambia projects.