African Development Bank at Landmark Event on Renewable Energy Integration in Tunisia

The African Development Bank participated in an “Integrating Renewables in Energy Transitions” event in Hammamet, Tunisia, from May 21 to 24, 2024. Co-hosted by the Climate Investment Funds (CIF) and the government of Tunisia, the learning event brought together key stakeholders to advance the dialogue and action on renewable energy integration in developing countries, as part of the CIF’s Renewable Energy Integration (REI) Program.

The REI was launched in 2023 to support developing nations as they transition their energy systems to accommodate increasing amounts of renewable energy generation. Expressions of interest were invited from around the world, and ten countries selected to develop investment plans. Recognizing the importance of knowledge sharing, CIF established the REI Learning Platform last year to foster the exchange of insights and best practices among countries, particularly those not among the selected countries.

Over three days, participants from the world over engaged in a series of learning sessions and technical workshops covering a wide range of topics critical to RE integration – transmission and distribution infrastructure, enhancing system flexibility, peak load management, energy storage, smart grids, and the development of resilient energy systems.

Discussions also delved into national planning and policy development, as well as the crucial role of private sector participation in expanding investment capabilities.

“The discussions were quite fruitful. Looking at the countries, they saw how, despite being in geographically different locations, they all face similar issues, similar challenges,” said Jimmy Pannett, co-lead, REI. “And more importantly, I think that despite being at different stages of integrating their renewable energy, no matter how sophisticated they are or are not, they all learn from each other. We saw Columbia saying they learned things from Kenya. We saw lessons that everyone learned from South Asia or how certain concepts and solutions such as hydro in Brazil are not necessarily always the full solution [for some countries] – that they need to be more creative.”

In his closing remarks, Fethi Hanchi, Director General of Tunisia’s National Agency for Energy Conservation, expressed gratitude to CIF for selecting the country as the venue for this in-person edition of the REI Learning Platform. He emphasized, "In the face of all major universal challenges, all responses must be cross-cutting and collaborative. We must work together to address this energy challenge, which is inherently linked to the climate challenge. Therefore, we must intensify and multiply these initiatives in order to maximize the benefits of each other's experiences."

"And also, we need to materialize financing for renewable energies. Today, this is the main concern because countries are now ready," he concluded.

Carlos Mollinedo, Chief Energy Economic Officer at the African Development Bank, on a panel on Scaling up Investments in Renewable Energy Integration, shared insights into how to
approach pipeline development, as well as examples of the types of investments the Bank is prioritizing.

“The Bank is fully committed to supporting African countries’ efforts to accelerate electricity access while at the same time advancing their transition to cleaner energy sources. Since 2000, we have committed a cumulated amount of $20 billion towards these twin goals, increasingly focusing on renewable energy, particularly hydro and solar, and increasingly supporting private sector investment through direct financing and by providing technical assistance for boosting power sector reform,” he said.

Site visits enabled participants to see firsthand Tunisia's innovative approaches to renewable energy integration, showcasing the use of public-private partnerships to drive investments in the renewable energy sector.

Tunisia's strategies and practical implementations provided valuable lessons and inspiration for other countries embarking on similar energy transitions. The event not only highlighted the progress being made but also emphasized the importance of continued collaboration and knowledge sharing.

By bringing together a broad spectrum of expertise and perspectives, it aimed to accelerate the collaborative adoption of renewable energy and support the global effort to create sustainable and resilient energy systems for the future.

Participants included technical experts from national ministries specializing in energy, environment, finance, and national planning. In addition to a delegation from the African Development Bank, representatives from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the InterAmerican Development Bank, the International Finance Corporation, and the World Bank were also present.

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The African Development Bank recently approved several significant renewable energy projects, including:

1. Utility-Scale Power and Battery Storage: Projects in Eritrea, Gabon, Egypt, Niger, Tunisia, Tanzania, and South Africa.
2. Regional Interconnections: Initiatives like the Mauritania-Mali link, the Mozambique-Songo-Matambo Transmission Line, and the Ethiopia-Djibouti Second Power Interconnection.
3. Off-Grid Access: Expanding energy access in Chad, Ghana, and Togo.

Additionally, the Bank has launched key technical assistance programs:

4. Africa Energy Transition Catalyst, approved in 2023, supporting projects in Namibia, Botswana, Tunisia, Senegal, Nigeria, Mauritania, and the African Energy Commission (AFREC).
5. Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Program, approved in 2023 and started in 2024, covering nearly 10 countries, including Tunisia, focusing on policy, regulation, and regional integration.

The government of Mali's Investment Plan under the CIF REI was approved in November 2023 using a modular approach, with an initial allocation of $32.6 million to be shared between the Bank and the World Bank, and a second allocation of $20 million to be paid out subject to the availability of additional funds, bringing the total allocation to $52.6 million.