Strengthening capacities of CSO members in Renewable Energy

Côte d’Ivoire: Strengthening capacities of CSO members in Renewable Energy

Recent figures from the World Bank indicate that Private Sector in Cote d’Ivoire is responsible for 70% of energy production and 100% of distribution.

The country plan indicates that 95% of the population is to access the grid electricity with a commitment of 42% production of renewable energy.

While fresh discoveries of oil and gas have been eyed by the country’s hydrocarbon sector, different development actors urge for the expansion of renewable energy in the country. According to the country’s plan renewable energy is set to be 38% by 2026 and 42% by 2030.

In line with strengthening the capacity and understanding of the community on the use of renewable energies, on June 6, 2023, PACJA Cote d’Ivoire in partnership with other partners organized a workshop, in Abidjan, on renewable Energy for its members.

The workshop was convened under the PACJA-implemented GUARD project. The workshop sought to equip members with the role of Green hydrogen as one of clean and renewable energy.  PACJA Cote d’Ivoire sought to quip civil society to encourage their participation in the development of renewable energies.

 During this workshop, participants learned about the mix of renewable energies and their role in no/low regret investments for national development.  The Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy representative shared insights on the energy mix’s role in the nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and how the mix will contribute to the reduction of Greenhouse gas emissions.

For the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy, Dr. Zidago from the Department of Renewable Energy within the Ministry, for the country to reach goals in terms of energy access, there is a need of Mix of renewable energy to ensure that citizens are able to have full access to renewable energies.

Supplementing this, Mrs. Neza Guillaine from the Renewable Energy Department at the African Development Bank (AfDB) highlighted to participants that green hydrogen is the other source of clean energy that Africa and Cote d’Ivoire, in particular, need to tap into to reduce global warming.

Green Hydrogen is hydrogen generated by renewable energy or from low-carbon power with the advantage of lower carbon emission compared to the other type of hydrogen produced from natural gas or steam reforming.

Mauritania is Africa’s Biggest Green Hydrogen mega investment with 1.7 million tons per year. While China is the biggest producer and consumer in the world.

Mrs. Neza said that Green Hydrogen is untapped renewable energy for the future and called participants to see it as a potential opportunity to think about.

Côte d’Ivoire targets the energy mix of which 42% which will come from renewable energies by 2030. The country is revising the NDCs