In a major boost for its ‘Light up and power Africa’ initiative, the African Development Bank (AfDB) has entered into partnership with the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to scale up solar energy in Africa.
The AfDB and ISA will jointly support technical assistance and knowledge transfer for solar development and deployment in sunshine-rich African countries. Both parties will also develop finance instruments for off-grid solar projects, as well as large-scale solar independent power producers for African ISA member countries.
As part of the new agreement, ISA will support the African Development Bank’s ‘Desert to Power’ solar initiative – through which the Bank intends to turn Africa's deserts into new sources of energy.
Working with partners to develop 10 000 MW of solar power systems across the Sahel, the initiative is expected to provide electricity to 250 million people, with 90 million of these being on off-grid systems.
The partnership agreement was sealed on the margins of the Founding Conference of the International Solar Alliance (ISA) held in New Delhi on March 11. The Conference was co-chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India and President Emmanuel Macron of France.
“This signing is an important milestone for the Bank in its efforts to lead the continent’s transformation towards sustainable energy through the use of solar technologies, and in its bid to reach universal access to energy in Africa,” said Amadou Hott, vice president, Power, Energy, Climate and Green Growth at the African Development Bank.
