Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency opens in Windhoek, Namibia

Windhoek, 24 October 2018 - The Southern African Development Community (SADC) Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) was inaugurated today in Windhoek, with several high-level interventions by ministers and deputy ministers responsible for Energy of Botswana, Mauritius Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe, SADC Secretariat, the Austrian Development Agency (ADA), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).

“We are opening up a window of opportunity for the entire SADC region”, said Namibian Minister of Mines and Energy, Hon. Tom Alweendo. “Namibia is privileged to host this important centre in Windhoek and I thank all partners for their support”.

SADC Secretariat’s Director of Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Domingos Gove, representing the SADC Executive Secretary, Dr Stergomena Lawrence Tax, said: “SACREEE will advise SADC Member States on how to make the sustainable energy transformation feasible and viable. Access to affordable and reliable energy is a prerequisite for the industrialisation aspirations of our region. SACREEE will provide a platform for domestic and international partnerships and will serve as a hub for knowledge and technical expertise”.

On the occasion of the official launch of SACREEE, a series of events were organised in collaboration with partners. Among them, a workshop on renewable energy entrepreneurship support, on Energy Efficient lighting and appliances and a public dialogue on empowering the youth through clean-tech and innovation.

The Namibia-hosted SACREEE was established with the technical support of the UNIDO and with financial assistance from the ADA. “The regional sustainable energy centers are an important contribution of UNIDO to provide regions with the required technical capacities to shape international technology transfer processes in a more inclusive way”, said UNIDO Managing Director Philippe Scholtès. “The creation of new technology markets can only be successful if they are integrative, create domestic value and jobs, and share prosperity among all”.

“The Austrian Development Agency is honored to support SADC and its Member States in this important process. We are convinced that SACREEE – in partnership with the other regional centres of the Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres – will play an important role in making universal access to sustainable and affordable energy services a reality by 2030”, emphasized ADA Managing Director Martin Ledolter at the inauguration ceremony.

Through cross-border approaches and methodologies, SACREEE will complement and accelerate national efforts in the areas of policy and regulation, capacity development, knowledge and data management, awareness raising as well as the promotion of investment, innovation and entrepreneurship.

SACREEE is part of UNIDO´s Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centers. In partnership with Member States and other regional players (e.g. utility organisations, regulatory authorities, banks), the centers work towards the creation of integrated and inclusive regional markets for sustainable energy products and services.

For more information, please contact:

energy@sacreee.org

Further links:

www.sacreee.org

www.se4allnetwork.org

https://www.sadc.int/

https://www.entwicklung.at/en/