On Thursday 29 February 2024, the Malian Minister of Young People and Sports, Civic Education and Citizenship, Abdoul Kassim Fomba presided - in the name of the Prime Minister of Mali, Choquel Kokalla Maïga - the opening of the 3rd Renewable Energies Week. He renewed the commitment made by the authorities and key sector players to further the development of renewable energies in the country, located in the Sahel region of West Africa.
This flagship event on the role of renewable energies in sustainable development in Mali addresses "Promoting opportunities in the renewable energies sector in Mali: Mali's investment plan for the Renewable Energies Integration Programme of the Climate Investment Fund.". It aims to catalyse the launch and rollout of the Renewable Energies Integration Programme investment plan financed by the Climate Investment Fund as part of the African Development Bank's Desert to Power initiative. Ambitious and visionary, this plan aims to accelerate the transition to a cleaner, more diverse energy mix, while strengthening Mali's energy resilience.
Some 50 exhibitors are presenting opportunities available in Mali for renewable energy, so that people can explore the advances in the sector.
The Malian Minister of Energy and Water, Bintou Camara, praised "a captivating exploration that highlights advances and opportunities in the field of renewable energies" in Mali.
This is also an opportunity to share good practices and innovative ideas to promote the adoption and integration of renewable energies in all sectors of the Malian economy.
The authorities described the detailed investment plan for the Renewable Energies Integration Programme, its challenges and opportunities.
"By supporting the integration study and implementation of the investment plan, the African Development Bank Group is reiterating its firm commitment to supporting Mali's energy transition, to achieve its access to energy targets," declared Adalbert Nshimyumuremyi, head of the Bank's country office in Mali.
Renewable Energies Week will help strengthen partnerships between stakeholders, investors, and civil society. On day 1 of the event, participants learned about the completion of the study to integrate solar power into Mali's electricity system, which recommends increasing solar production capacity by 1,400 megawatts by 2035. This would mean investing some EUR 1.14 billion into the production system.
"Mali remains a flagship country for the 'Desert to Power' initiative, which is gradually being put in place in practical terms and will have a positive impact on the population. Permanent access to a high-quality electricity supply at an affordable cost will strengthen the resilience of the populations in the beneficiary areas," declared Franklin Gbedey, the Bank's head of renewable energies.
About the Climate Investment Funds
The Climate Investment Funds (CIF) were created in 2008 and are valued at $11.1 billion, making them one of the world's largest active climate finance mechanisms. They enable planning and climate-smart actions in low- and middle-income economies, many of which are least prepared for yet most exposed to the challenges of climate change. The CIF is responding to the global climate crisis with large-scale, low-cost, long-term financial solutions to help countries achieve their climate targets.
About the "Desert to Power" initiative
Launched in 2019, "Desert to Power" is an African Development Bank initiative to take advantage of the solar power potential of 11 countries in the Sahel (Burkina Faso, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan) by investing in solar power production and providing access to electricity. Its goal is to increase solar power production capacity by 10 gigawatts between now and 2030, through public and private, on and off-grid projects so as to provide 250 million people with access to electricity.
