Enigin Update - East African Energy Efficiency Vital
ENERGY efficiency in East Africa is a case of more than just a monetary or environmental concern as using a scarce resource wisely benefits the whole nation.
Only 37 per cent of East Africa's population are connected to the national grid, with 90 per cent relying on traditional sources of energy.
East Africa is in a struggle to develop and grow but the lack of energy resources is still major obstacle despite undertaking action to tackle the increasing demand for power by installing emergency thermal generating plants and enhancing work on the development of new hydro-power projects.
Speaking recently during a regional energy efficiency workshop in Kampala, Uganda's state Minister for Energy, Simon D'UJanga, said a number of countries in the region have been forced to acquire expensive thermal power plants.
This has made the tariff high and negatively impacted on the environment.
"In order to meet the increasing demand, development of infrastructure in the energy sector has to match the growth in energy demand," D'UJanga said..
The German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) Programme Coordinator, Markus Exenberger, said GTZ will follow closely activities of the East African Community (EAC) especially the adoption of a energy efficiency and renewable energy conservation master plan.
Exenberger said the plan will pave way for specific activities at regional level.
"Along with power sector development and renewable energy, this is a clear sign that energy efficiency activities have become a key ingredient of the energy programmes not only in the region, but internationally. It needs to be discussed in international conferences like the forthcoming climate change in Cancun," Exenberger said.
The workshop noted that across the region, there is a high potential of energy efficiency to become a strategic priority and contribute to ensuring sustainable improvements in all sectors.
It was also noted that Governments across the region had started national initiatives to increase energy conservation and improving efficiency.
"Some governments are planning or already developing comprehensive national policies and legislation as long lasting solutions to the problem," a statement from the workshop noted.
The workshop resolved to create a platform for proactive dialogue on energy efficiency and enhance regional networking among key stakeholders.
Participants further agreed on regional harmonisation of energy efficiency standards.
D'UJanga further said adequate, reliable and affordable energy was the essential drive for economic transformation of any nation.
"Without modern forms of energy, we cannot achieve the Millennium Development Goals" D'UJanga said.
Another major challenge, the minister said, was the need to increase access to modern forms of energy to meet the growing demand, and the need to reduce high power losses in the distribution.
Enigin Distributors in East Africa have the technology and solutions from Enigin to help businesses and governments to be able to manage their energy use, reducing their demand by using Enigin PLC's Eniscope, supplying energy data in real-time allowing the right energy efficiency decision to be made.
Picture by Dylan Walters
