Africa’s aging hydropower fleet is set to benefit from a $1 million grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).
The funds will be used to map and evaluate rehabilitation needs of hydropower facilities across Africa. It will also support the preparation of modernization works for two pilot facilities to a bankable stage, a move expected to add 200MW in generation capacity, create 150 jobs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by about 300 kilotons of CO2 annually.
Modern hydropower plays a key role for Africa’s energy transition, reducing reliance on fossil fuels and anchoring larger shares of Variable Renewable Energy sources. This transformative program under SEFA’s Green Baseload component will specifically capitalize on the significant market opportunity for rehabilitation of Africa’s existing hydropower plants, said Dr. Daniel Schroth, Acting Director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank.
SEFA is managed by the African Development Bank. It is set to implement the program in partnership with the International Hydropower Association which has participated in similar initiatives in Asia and South America.
