Challenges

The African economy is chronically energy deficient, with over 600 million people without access to electricity and a relatively high dependence on fossil fuel consumption. Africa has an undeniable advantage in renewable resources, particularly solar, hydroelectric and wind power, and should see future energy development geared towards these resources.  

The development of renewable energies on an African scale requires the establishment of adequate mechanisms to ensure the mutual sharing of know-how and expertise mainly based on the principle of South-South cooperation. It also requires a strong commitment from the various actors operating in the field of renewable energy.  

Toward a Solution

To address the challenges above, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen) and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) launched a joint initiative to develop strategic renewable energy (RE) projects in Africa, with a special focus on least developed countries (LDCs) such as, Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Niger, Senegal and Togo along with non-LDCs such as Côte d’Ivoire and Gabon. 

Masen, with its experience and its position as a reference in Africa in the development of renewable energies, and IsDB, whose mandate includes the promotion of social and economic development of its member countries, seek through this project to build capacity for electricity production from renewable sources and develop local know-how capable of autonomously carrying out future projects in Africa. 

The objective of the IsDB/Masen Initiative is to:  

• Facilitate the development of competitive and solid energy production infrastructures.  
• Contribute to increasing the share of green energy production in the recipient countries. 
• Help new users of renewable energy leverage the experience accumulated by Masen and allow extensive cooperation in the field of energy between Morocco and other African countries.  
• Enable access to the latest technologies while selecting the most suitable technical configurations.  

To achieve the objectives set, Masen and IsDB will support renewable energy projects in the above African countries through the mobilization of the necessary resources and the establishment of appropriate mechanisms, incorporating the benefits of South-South cooperation. 

The project is carried out by:  

• capitalizing on the experience and expertise acquired by Masen to accompany the countries concerned in identifying the best sites for the development of renewable energy capacity in these countries; 
• conducting preliminary technical, economic, financial and environmental studies to identify bankable projects; 
• developing and structuring the qualified projects according to international best practices; and  
• sharing Masen’s expertise and know-how on renewable energy. 

This partnership reinforces Morocco’s bilateral South-South cooperation with African countries through a tripartite cooperation embodied by the Reverse Linkage Approach, a technical cooperation mechanism whereby member countries exchange knowledge, expertise, technology and resources to develop their capacities for autonomous development. Through this mechanism, IsDB plays the role of a facilitator and connector to mobilize resources and identify development solutions from around the world to meet the challenges of its member countries. 

Masen, on the other hand, will work to transfer its expertise and know-how and to address certain capacity gaps to be mutually agreed upon by the local counterpart in line with the Reverse Linkage mechanism. The recipient countries will engage in the peer-to-peer approach in the genesis of all deliverables to enable effective and efficient transfer of know-how. 

In order to implement the initiative in the most efficient and effective way, transparent and participatory consultations were conducted with key stakeholders in the targeted countries. 

In 2019 Masen and the Government of Djibouti signed a memorandum of understanding to set up a partnership for the development of renewable energy. This entails the sharing of expertise and increased cooperation between stakeholders and investors in energy sectors of the two countries. 

The renewable energy projects to be supported will contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and avoid air and soil pollution, while contributing to additional productive capacity in terms of energy production infrastructure. The Initiative contributes to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 7, 13 and 17. It also contributes to Istanbul Programme of Action (IPoA) Priority 1 (Productive capacity); Priority 6 (Multiple crises and other emerging challenges); and Priority 7 (Mobilizing financial resources for development and capacity-building).