EAC centre for renewable energy in offing

The East African Community will soon have a centre for renewable energy and energy efficiency.

This was revealed by the Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors Jesca Eriyo.

Eriyo told a meeting of EAC Energy ministers in Arusha, Tanzania, last week that the feasibility study and project documents for the establishment of the EAC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency have been completed.

She said that the Austrian Government had committed a million Euros towards the establishment of the centre, which she said would be instrumental in advancing the development of renewable energy in the region.

She also said that the project would provide a channel for implementing energy efficiency programmes and thus called for its expeditious approval.

The meeting also discussed the East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition, selecting Rwanda as the host for the seventh edition of the event which is due in 2015.

The ministers also directed the EAC Secretariat to develop a concept paper on establishing an energy fund as a window under the EAC Development Fund.

Other matters the meeting discussed included the establishment of the East African Community Power Pool (EACPP); new and renewable sources of energy and energy conservation and efficiency; the Regional Clean Energy Programme; and the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP) programme.