Special
Studies of Strategic Significance Theme Group
(Call for Proposals - 2002 Closed 5th March,
2002)
Purpose
The
African energy sector is facing rapid changes that originate from both internal
and external developments. The pace of change also appears to be accelerating.
Some of these changes present important opportunities for development and
improvement of the African energy sector. Other changes increase risks that
require pre-emptive response measures.
For
example, an important and rapid development that has outpaced the response
capability of the African energy decision makers and research community relates
to the ongoing international climate negotiations. Since the signing of the Rio
Environment Agreement and Framework Convention on Climate Change in 1992, the
pace of change has been very rapid. African researchers and decision makers have
become virtual spectators rather than active participants in debate on issues
such as greenhouse trading, incremental costing and joint implementation (since
then, known as activities implemented jointly and now clean development
mechanism). The principal convention financing instrument, the Global
Environment Facility (GEF) has been transformed in a space of few years from a
concept to a multi-billion dollars financing mechanism which is larger than many
bilateral assistance programmes to the energy sector in Africa.
A
mechanism for effectively responding to these rapid changes is clearly needed by
the African energy research and decision making community. This theme group on Special
Studies of Strategic Significance
is designed to assist in filling this important
gap in the region. The Theme Group on Special
Studies of Strategic Significance was established by AFREPREN/FWD to assist the
Network as well as the wider African energy community to respond to these rapid
changes that are not addressed by its three main Theme Groups, namely: (i) Renewables
and Energy for Rural Development (ii) Energy
Services for the Urban Poor; and, (iii) Energy
Sector Reforms.
Key
issues that would be addressed by the Special Studies of Strategic
Significance include the following:-
i)
Co-generation and associated demand side management (DSM) issues.
ii)
Environmental and socio-economic impacts of large-scale energy developments
(e.g. large scale dams, coal mines and oil pipelines)
iii)
Energy Services for the Urban Poor:
-
Innovative
institutional options for improving the informal sector’s access to energy
services (e.g. micro-electricity distributors, micro-level distributors of
kerosene and LPG)
-
Assessment
of appropriate energy technology options for the informal sector
-
Energy
consumption patterns in low income urban micro-enterprises
-
Energy consumption
patterns in low income home-based urban micro-enterprises
iv)
Renewables and Energy for Rural Development
-
Appropriate
energy technologies for income generation among the rural poor.
-
Cost-benefit
assessment of PV and other rural energy options (e.g. micro&pico hydro,
biomass gasifiers, windpumps) for income generation.
-
Impact
of appropriate energy options on productivity of the rural poor (agricultural,
small-scale processing and service).
-
Impact
of appropriate energy technologies on income generation and employment creation
among the rural poor (possible number of jobs created, amount of income
generated).
-
Lessons
learned from effective distribution of conventional rural energy technologies
(e.g. small scale diesel & petrol sets (generators, water pumps, maize
mills, etc) that are relevant to renewables and other cleaner options.
-
Assessment
of the success/failure of conventional rural electrification programmes
-
Socio-economic
assessment of 2 contrasting approaches for providing energy to rural
enterprises: energisation (encompasses both electricity and non-electrical
options) and electrification (extension of the grid).
v) Energy Sector
Reform
-
Opportunities
for local small and medium scale entrepreneurs in a reformed power sector
-
Assessment
of the extent to which power sector reforms have led to:
-
Leakage
of energy subsidies to the non-poor.
-
Appropriateness
of single sector (electricity) regulatory agencies compared to multi-sectoral
(electricity, telecommunications, water, transport, etc) regulatory agencies
for African countries
-
Lessons
learned from reforms of the other sectors (eg. telecommunications and water)
The
Call for Proposals was closed on 5th March 2002 and AFREPREN/FWD is not
accepting late applications. Details
on the next call for proposal will be communicated on this website as soon as
the requisite funding is mobilised
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