The AREI Framework Document and Action Plan provide the basis and strategic direction for the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative.

AREI Progress report

AREI Brochure

AREI Presentation

Communications issued by H.E. Professor Alpha Condé, President of the Republic of Guinea, Coordinator of renewable energies for Africa and Chair of the AREI Board.

For One Planet Summit
11 Dec 2017

From fifth meeting of the
Board of Directors
January 2018

For International Solar
Alliance Summit
11 March 2018

Sixth meeting of the board of directors

The Africa Renewable Energy Initiative (AREI) is a transformative, Africa-owned and Africa-led inclusive effort to accelerate and scale up the harnessing of the continent’s huge renewable energy potential. Under the mandate of the African Union, and endorsed by African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), the Initiative is set to achieve at least 10 GW of new and additional renewable energy generation capacity by 2020, and mobilize the African potential to generate at least 300 GW by 2030.

The AREI is firmly anchored in the context of sustainable development and climate change. It shows how low to zero carbon development strategies can be achieved in African countries through climate finance and means of implementation according to the principles of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). It recognizes the critical importance of rapid expansion of energy access for enhanced well-being, economic development and the fulfilment of all Sustainable Development Goals.

The overall goals of the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative are to:

• Help achieve sustainable development, enhanced well-being, and sound economic development by ensuring universal access to sufficient amounts of clean, appropriate and affordable energy.
• Help African countries leapfrog to renewable energy systems that support their low-carbon development strategies while enhancing economic and energy security.

The immediate establishment phase (2015 to mid-2016): Formal initiation of the AREI activities, including resource mobilisation, establishment of the governance and management structure and identification of Phase I projects that will be in the pipeline by mid-2016.

Phase I (2016-2020): In cooperation with bilateral and global partners, assessments, preparations and critical enabling activities at the continental African level as well as in a number of pioneering countries. Achievement of at least 10 GW new and additional generation capacity.

Phase II (2020-2030): Ambitious, full-scale roll-out of nationally determined policies, programmes and incentives as initiated under Phase I. Continuous project identifications, assessments and revisions for further scaling up to at least 300 GW new and additional generation capacity of renewable energy.

According to its guiding principles, the AREI will:

• Contribute to achieving sustainable development in Africa by scaling up and accelerating the deployment and funding of renewable energy in Africa.
• Address the entire African continent and benefit all African countries.
• Boost intra-regional and international cooperation and promote and support only those activities and projects that are agreed by the countries concerned and impacted.
• Promote all kinds of renewable energy technologies – in particular solar; wind; pico-, micro-, small- and medium-scale hydro; modern biomass; geothermal; and marine – provided they are socially and environmentally appropriate, gender-sensitive and in line with these guiding principles.
• Promote the full range of renewable electricity applications, from grid-connected to mini-grids to small stand-alone systems, as well as other forms of energy, with particular consideration being paid to applications that meet the needs of poor people.

The AREI Action plan identifies specific activities under five Core Work Areas and four Cross-cutting Work Areas, all of which complement and build on work by other relevant stakeholders. These range from helping interested governments strengthen policy, regulatory, support and incentives frameworks to providing project development and support that ends with the financing of RE projects. A detailed Action Plan describes these nine elements in detail.

The AREI recognizes that the scale of African energy challenges is enormous, but so are the opportunities. Transformational change is both needed and possible, and must be stimulated by truly collaborative international efforts and goodwill. By fostering partnerships, bringing together existing initiatives, and mobilizing new international support for secure, distributed and people-oriented energy systems of the future, the Initiative will help African countries gain access to cleaner energy to drive their development and prosperity.

CORE WORK AREAS

• Mapping of renewable energy policies, regulations, experiences and programmes
• Strengthening of policy, regulatory and support frameworks
• Capacity mobilization and building
• Mobilization of finance for incentives and investment
• Project development and support

CROSS-CUTTING WORK AREAS

• Socio-economic and environmental assessments of renewable energy technologies
• Multi-stakeholder engagement
• Wider context monitoring and assessment
• Communications and outreach

The AREI envisions smart, distributed energy systems that can handle a mix of renewable energy generation. With a highly diversified ownership base compared to that of conventional, centralized energy systems, a vast number of households, communities, cooperatives, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as larger companies, become both producers and consumers of electricity. This will enable Africa to leapfrog to the energy systems of the future.

The Initiative highlights the fact that as well as ensuring appropriate electricity access for households and families, access needs to be sufficient to also drive the productive sectors in both local and national contexts for job creation, economic development and increased resilience. This includes addressing the needs of small-scale farming and micro, small- and medium-scale enterprises in terms of both quantity and quality of access, and entails a vision of electricity access beyond the bare minimum requirements for households.

For poor people, increased access to energy means a potential for improved livelihoods. The Initiative will therefore promote unprecedented efforts to reach populations currently off national grids. It will plan for expanded access to electricity for social services as African societies develop social security provisions and other means of improving welfare for their populations over the coming decades.

In a Joint Statement of support to advance the Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United States of America, United Kingdom, EU and Sweden committed on 7 Dec 2015 to mobilize at least USD 10 billion USD cumulatively from 2015-2020. The Netherlands later joined the group.

First meeting of the Board of Directors
Addis Ababa, 29 January 2017

  Minutes

Second meeting of the Board of Directors
Conakry, 4 March 2017

  Minutes

Third meeting of the Board of Directors
Addis Ababa, 2 July 2017

  Minutes

Fourth meeting of the Board of Directors
New York, 22 September 2017

  Minutes

Fifth meeting of the Board of Directors
Addis Ababa, 27 January 2018

  Minutes

This meeting gathered the countries committing to USD 10 bn in support of AREI at COP21 as well as AREI Board members and IDU, to deliberate how the contributions could be provided in line with AREI principles and criteria.

The AREI Progress Report shows what has been achieved by the AREI and its Drafting Team/interim Independent Delivery Unit during 2016.

Click to download the AREI Brochure in pdf format.

Click to download the AREI Summary in pdf format.

The AREI framework documents describes the initiative in detail, including context, goals and guidelines, activity clusters, elements of the implementation strategy and governance and management. It has been endorsed by the Commission of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC) and the African Union Summit and constitutes the basis for the initiative. 

The AREI Action Plan outlines concrete actions for both the first 12 months Establishment Phase and the AREI Phase I (2017-2020). The Establishment phase include operationalisation of governance and management structures, engagement with African countries and institutions, resource mobilisation, initial mapping of relevant programmes and initiatives, and consideration of initial programmes and projects to be supported. The AREI Phase I outlines activities under 5 Core Work Areas and 4 Cross-cutting Work Areas. The AREI Action Plan is a living document that will continuously evolve as the work advances. 

This document presents the AREI Criteria to be applied for assessment of attribution and eligibility/prioritization of funding. The document will help guide determination of what programmes and project can be considered under AREI, and help prioritisation of support and funding. The document was presented and discussed at the African Union commissioned Technical Working Group on Renewable Energy meeting in Cairo 11-12 July 2016, and has been further refined based on input from multiple stakeholders.