ESMAP Newsletter | June 2024
685 Million: The New Number of People Worldwide Without Access to Electricity
The 2024 edition of Tracking SDG7: The Energy Progress Report warns that current efforts are not enough to achieve the SDG7 on time. There has been some progress on specific elements of the SDG7 agenda. However, the global energy access gap has worsened as population growth outpaced new connections leaving 685 million people living without electricity access in 2022 while 2.1 billion people continue to rely on damaging cooking fuels globally.
» Read the Press Release: English | French | Arabic | Chinese - Watch the Video English | French
World Bank Invests in Solar Energy to Expand Access to Electricity in Guinea-Bissau
The $35 million grant will enable solar power generation and increase access to electricity in Guinea-Bissau. The project is expected to benefit residential, commercial, and industrial consumers all over Guinea-Bissau, including on the islands. It will also support the Government’s efforts to create an enabling environment for private sector participation, as well as spur economic growth and create green jobs.
The Solar Energy Scale-up and Access Project will be implemented until June 2030, and will benefit from $35 million grant financing from the International Development Association (IDA), $10.5 million from the Green Climate Fund (GCF), and $2.65 million from ESMAP.
Liberia Electricity Sector Strengthening and Access Project Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach Phase II
The first ever global Multi-Phase Programmatic Approach project for energy access aims to provide 1.25million people in Liberia with new or improved access to electricity. The approved project will provide 494,000 people with new access to electricity which is 14% of the population with access gap. Overall, the project will provide 790,000 people with new or improved access to electricity. The approval was for US$45 million IDA and US$5 million from ESMAP.
World Bank Loan to Namibia Supports Renewable Energy Integration: Transmission Expansion and Energy Storage (TEES) Project
Namibia’s first ever World Bank financed energy project, aimed at improving the reliability of the country’s transmission network and enabling increased integration of renewable energy into the country’s electricity system. The $138.5 million project will be implemented by the national electricity utility, NamPower. The project will facilitate access to Variable Renewable Energy and the Battery Energy Storage System will support the development and uptake of renewable energy plants. The project will also assist the client to develop and procure sustainable, bankable RE projects with a systematic framework to maximize socio-economic benefits, targeting job creation, skills development, and gender equality. NamPower has also joined ESMAP’s Energy Storage Partnership as a new partner.
Sustainable Cooling in Off-Grid Rural Areas | The Nexus Between Access to Energy and Clean Cooling
This report aims to increase awareness and start a discussion among stakeholders on several important but little explored topics: access to efficient and clean cooling in off-grid rural areas.
» Download the Report | Watch the Launch
Hydropower | Unveiling the Socioeconomic Benefits
Among hydropower’s myriad benefits (e.g., greater energy security, reduced greenhouse gas emissions), this report focuses specifically on its socioeconomic benefits, and how governments can maximize them through policy and planning. The report also considers outcomes that can be controlled and maximized at the project level, beyond the risk mitigation requirements of environmental and social safeguard frameworks.
Integrated Environmental & Social Sensitivity Mapping | Guidance for Early Offshore Wind Spatial Planning
While offshore wind is critical to reducing carbon emissions and helping to achieve universal energy access as envisioned by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 7, we must ensure that such turbines are installed in a way that they do not endanger marine life or harm human development.
Sierra Leone - Beyond Connections: Energy Access Diagnostic Report Based on the Multi-Tier Framework
The survey shows that nationwide 21.1% of Sierra Leone households have access to electricity via the national grid (20.5%) or mini-grids (0.6%) and 14.7% have off-grid access. Off-grid sources predominantly include solar products such as solar lanterns, solar home systems, and solar lighting systems, and off-grid use is largely limited to rural areas. The adoption of solar lanterns, however, is significantly higher than the use of other products in rural areas. Other off-grid sources include electric generators and rechargeable batteries.
From Sun to Roof to Grid | The Economics and Policy of Distributed PV
This report, the final in a series of three, walks policy makers, regulatory authorities, utilities, and energy experts through a framework for designing and implementing policy packages that guide and regulate DPV installations and their connection to the grid. Special attention is given to the potential economic benefits and challenges DPV pose for electric utilities.
The Critical Link: Empowering Utilities for The Energy Transition
As the conduit between power demand and supply, the utilities that operate the world's transmission and distribution networks will be the critical link in the energy transition. Utilities will need to expand and modernize their networks to integrate variable renewable energy sources and meet growing demands for cleaner and more flexible power. This paper aims to place the need for sustainable utilities in lower-income countries (LICs) and middle-income countries (MICs) at the heart of the energy sector dialogue.
» Download the Report | Watch the Video
Adapting Spatial Frameworks to Guide Energy Access Interventions in Urbanizing Africa
The extension of electricity into rural areas has been the focus of efforts to achieve universal access to reliable, affordable, and modern energy by 2030. On the African continent and elsewhere, however, rapid urbanization has produced new patterns of human settlement that blur the distinction between rural and urban.
PAST EVENTS
PAST EVENTS WITH AVAILABLE MATERIALS
Geothermal Energy: Empowering Development Beyond Electricity Generation
ESMAP hosted a side event at the International Geothermal Conference (ICG) in Reykjavik. The conference, themed "Recreate Your Society – Geothermal for All," was organized by the Icelandic Renewable Cluster and brought together experts from around the globe. The main theme of the ESMAP Geothermal side event was “Geothermal Energy: Empowering Development Beyond Electricity Generation.”
Mini Grid Solutions for Underserved Customers: New Insights from Nigeria and India
In this ESMAP Global Facility on Mini Grids webinar participants heard about the latest lessons from the emergence of undergrid mini grids, delving into specific examples from Nigeria and India.
Power with Flexibility – Facilitating the Energy Transition with Hybrid Hydropower
Participants learned how combining hydropower with other renewable sources can create a system that's more flexible and efficient to get the most out of these energy sources, understanding how to handle changes in energy supply, and ensuring electricity is always available when needed.
The Sky is the Limit: RENEW MENA Focuses on People with Disabilities and Youth to Promote Gender Equality and Inclusion in the Energy
During this ESMAP-supported RENEW MENA event, key objectives include: i) showcasing progress from RENEW MENA partners and discussing achievements, ii) strengthening regional commitment to sustained action and foster collaboration and partnerships within the network, and iv) exchanging global and regional experiences toward a more gender diverse workforce in the MENA region.
» Learn More | Browse the Materials
What Will it take to Boost Women’s Role in Tunisia’s Energy Sector?
A country-driven workshop to promote women in the energy sector was carried out in Tunisia, bringing together energy professionals from the national utility (Tunisian Company for Electricity and Gas -STEG), private sector, professional associations, among other groups.
Women Moving the Decarbonization Industry: Insights from Developing Countries and Emerging Markets
Participants explored how women are shaping the future of decarbonization, innovation in hydrogen, and sustainability in Emerging Markets and Developing Countries. Learn about strategies to promote gender diversity and empowerment in industrial decarbonization and the clean hydrogen industry. Be inspired by the stories of women driving change and be part of this empowering journey towards a more inclusive and sustainable future.
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