The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved a U.S.$7.88 million grant for the Africa Energy Transition Catalyst (AETC) programme.
Development Diaries reports that the programme aims to increase renewable energy generation across the continent.
The bank, in a statement, explained that the AETC consolidates its support for the acceleration of a Just Energy Transition (JET) for Africa.
It is understood that the AETC is a low-carbon transition that is fair, inclusive, creates decent work opportunities and leaves no one behind.
The programme, the bank explained, is designed to conduct a regional market study to facilitate the export of renewable energy from Botswana and Namibia as part of the two to five GW Mega Solar initiative.
It also aims to advance the ZiZaBoNa regional transmission interconnector development by updating feasibility and ESIA studies while providing project structuring advisory support.
The solar initiative is Southern Africa’s largest solar power programme and the first of its kind in the continent.
‘The AETC includes collaboration with the African Energy Commission to develop a continental Energy Transition Framework and Roadmap’, the statement read.
‘The programme will also play a pivotal role in supporting the implementation of Tunisia’s JET Strategy (2035) through financing feasibility studies for an offshore wind site (250–500 MW) with integrated energy storage’.
Photo source: AfDB