KEY EUEI Activities
Since 2002, the EUEI has been actively involved in creating, developing, facilitating and supporting:
-
Policy dialogue;
-
Institutional support, technical assistance and networking; and
-
Innovative financial instruments
aiming at the key goal of energy access for poverty reduction and sustainable development. As a result, a number of “spin-off
The results of the EUEI’s work can be found in the creation of the following key initiatives:
-
GEEREF - Equity investment for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
-
1st ACP-EU Energy Facility
Framework for comprehensive political dialogue on energy
http://www.africa-eu-partnership.org/partnerships/energy
The Africa-Europe Energy Partnership (AEEP) is a long-term framework for structured political dialogue and cooperation between Africa and the EU on energy issues of strategic importance. It is one of eight partnerships under the Africa-EU Strategic Partnership.
It aims to:
-
Mobilise increased financial, technical and human resources in support of Africa's energy development;
-
Increase European and African investments in energy infrastructure and in energy interconnections within Africa and between Africa and Europe; and
-
Promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, as well as to improve the management of energy resources.
The Africa-EU Energy Partnership was launched during the 2nd Africa-EU Summit in December 2007, Lisbon, Portugal where the First Action Plan (2008-2010) was adopted. The thematic action plan on energy was then translated into an operational roadmap of activities.
The First High Level Meeting of the AEEP took place in Vienna on 14-15 September 2010, bringing together leading politicians and decision-makers from Africa and Europe. It was at this meeting that concrete targets were agreed for AEEP’s future work until 2020 and the Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) was launched.
The 3rd Africa EU Summit took place on 29-30 November 2010, in Tripoli, Libya. The Summit shaped the future relations between the two continents and adopted the Tripoli declaration and the 2nd Action Plan 2011-2013.
EUEI Partnership and Dialogue Facility (EUEI-PDF)
Support for policy and strategy development
The Partnership Dialogue Facility (EUEI-PDF) is an instrument developed and funded by a number of EU Member States and the European Commission in the context of the EUEI. Currently the EUEI-PDF is financed by the Netherlands, Germany, the European Commission, Sweden, Austria and Finland.
The overall objective of the EUEI-PDF is to support the development of policies and strategies for the promotion of access to energy at national and regional level. These are based on dialogue within and between partner countries, their regional organisations, EU Member States and the European Commission.
The EUEI Partnership Dialogue Facility has a two-fold mission:
-
To support developing countries in sub-Saharan Africa and elsewhere to design policies and action-oriented regional, national and sub-national strategies in order to create an enabling environment and platform for government, private sector and donor-funded investments in improved energy access. This support is based on dialogue activities at all levels, supplemented by thematic studies on critical energy access topics.
-
To cooperate with the partners of the EUEI, especially the European Commission and the African partners, in the implementation of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership and other EUEI initiatives through dialogue, thematic studies and information disseminating activities.
The EUEI-PDF receives strategic guidance from its governing board comprised from its funders. EuropeAidand DG Energy represent the European Commission on the governing board.
From 2005 to 2009, the EUEI PDF funded more than 30 projects. With national projects in 15 different countries and 7 regional projects it has contributed to improving the enabling environment resulting in energy access investments. It has also conducted thematic studies on key energy issues such as biomass cooking energy and rural electrification agencies that have led to innovative approaches.
The second phase of the EUEI Partnership Dialogue Facility (2009-2012) incorporating enhanced support for the Africa-EU Energy Partnership is underway. The EUEI Partnership Dialogue Facility continues to work as a quick response, flexible mechanism for supporting the energy policies and strategies of partner countries.
Support from the EUEI-PDF is in the range of 50,000€ - 200,000€ for a single activity (indicatively). In practice, activities might require more or less financial assistance, but larger projects would require open competitive tendering. The EUEI PDF will accept proposals requesting support from national governments and regional organisations, which typically involve active participation of non-governmental organisations, private sector companies and trade associations.
European Union Member States Energy Development Programmes
Ongoing technical assistance and financial support provided by Member States through bilateral and multilateral programmes
Agence Française de Développement
http://www.afd.fr/jahia/Jahia/home/projets_afd/infrastructures_energie/Energie
Austrian Development Cooperation
http://www.entwicklung.at/themes/energy/en/
Belgian Development Agency
http://www.btcctb.org/en/theme/energy
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH
http://www.gtz.de/en/themen/28144.htm
Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
http://www.minbuza.nl/en/Key_Topics/Development_Cooperation/Dutch_development_policy
Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency
UK Aid / Department for International Development (DFID)
http://www.dfid.gov.uk/Where-we-work/Africa-West--Central/
EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund
http://www.eu-africa-infrastructure-tf.net/index.htm
The EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund, an instrument of the EU-Africa Partnership on Infrastructure provides grant support to energy, transport, water and information technology / communication infrastructure projects.
Operational since 2007, the EU-Africa Infrastructure Trust Fund aims to attract and leverage resources and technical expertise to support cross-border infrastructure investments in sub-Saharan Africa. It encourages the financing of infrastructure programmes which facilitate interconnectivity and regional integration on the African continent. It aims to support synergies between European development agencies for the benefit of Africa, leveraging additional funds by blending grants from the European Commission and EU Member-States with long-term loan finance made available by eligible financiers.
The Fund provides four types of grant support:
-
interest rate subsidies on medium/ long-term project loans;
-
technical assistance, including feasibility studies and project-related capacity building;
-
one-off grants for social or environmental components of the projects;
-
insurance premia to cover country risks during the inception phase of the project.
The Fund is managed by the European Investment Bank.
GEEREF - Equity Investment for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency
GEEREF is a Public Private Partnership (PPP) drawn from the Patient Capital Initiative (PCI) which was launched in 2004 in the context of the Johannesburg Renewable Energy Coalition (JREC).
GEEREF is an innovative Fund-of-Funds, providing global risk capital through private investment for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects in developing countries and economies in transition.
It aims to accelerate the transfer, development, use and enforcement of environmentally sound technologies for the world's poorest regions, helping to bring secure, clean and affordable energy to local people.
Initiated by the Directorate General for Environment and Directorate General for Development and Cooperation - EuropeAid of the European Commission, GEEREF is both a sustainable development tool and a strong support for global efforts to combat climate change. It is sponsored by the European Union, Germany and Norway and is advised by the European Investment Bank Group (European Investment Bank and the European Investment Fund).
So far, GEEREF has secured a total €108 million.
Structured as a Fund-of-Funds, GEEREF invests in private equity funds that specialise in providing equity finance to small and medium-sized project developers and enterprises (SMEs). Therefore, GEEREF does not directly provide funding to renewable energy and energy efficiency projects or enterprises.
GEEREF’s investments aim to bring benefits for a “triple bottom line":
-
People: Provide access to sustainable energy
-
Planet: Combat Climate Change
-
Profit: support financial sustainability.
In terms of geographical coverage, GEEREF invests exclusively in emerging markets outside the European Union and particularly focuses on serving the needs of the ACP, which is a group of 79 African, Caribbean and Pacific developing countries. It also invests in Latin America, Asia and neighbouring states of the EU (except for Candidate Countries).
In terms of technological focus, GEEREF targets:
-
Renewable Energy – including but not limited to small hydro, solar, wind, biomass and geothermal Energy; and
-
Energy Efficiency – including but not limited to waste heat recovery, energy management in buildings, cogeneration of heat and power, energy storage and smart grids.
See GEEREF’s current portfolio of projects.
Access to Energy Services and Enabling Frameworks - Grant Facility co-financing energy projects and energy governance activities in rural and peri-urban areas in the African, Caribbean and Pacific countries
The Energy Facility is a co-financing instrument established in 2005 in order to support projects on increasing access to sustainable and affordable energy services for the poor living in rural and peri-urban areas in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries. Following the success of the first Energy Facility, a second Energy Facility, with a total budget of € 200 million, was launched in November 2009.
This second Energy Facility co-finances investments projects and energy governance activities for improving access to sustainable and modern energy services by poor people living in the ACP rural and peri-urban areas. The second Energy Facility will also contribute to the fight against climate change by giving priority to renewable energy sources and energy efficiency measures.
The second Energy Facility gives priority to the following areas:
-
Access to energy services with the main aim of benefiting the poor
-
Renewable energy and energy efficiency, use of local resources and decentralised solutions
-
Productive use of energy beyond the basic services
-
Coherence with partner countries' planning frameworks
-
Promotion of sound energy policies and strategies
-
Removal of obstacles to private sector's involvement
The first call for €100 million of the second Energy Facility resulted in the selection of 65 projects for funding, and a second call is expected to be launched in 2011.
Other past initiatives (COOPENER, etc.)
http://www.managenergy.net/indexes/I357.htm
COOPENER: Community cooperation with developing countries
COOPENER was the first implementing instrument under the EUEI launched in 2003 with an approximate budget of 18 million euros whereby sub-Saharan Africa received 70% of the programmes’ budget, Latin America - 16% and Asia – 14%. The COOPENER projects focused on capacity building and training in developing countries. The underlying aim was to strengthen local policies and legislation and to encourage sustainable energy services for poverty alleviation and sustainable development.
COOPENER was the external component of the European Commission Directorate General for Transport and Energy’s programme for the promotion of policies, technologies and best practices in the fields of renewable energy and energy efficiency, the “Intelligent Energy – Europe programme 2003-2006”. The third and last call for proposals in 2005 added the poorest countries in Asia to the geographical priorities. The COOPENER programme was closed in 2006.
