IRENA and EACREEE Sign MoU to Accelerate Renewable Energy Development in the EAC Region

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, 12 January 2020 — The East African Centre of Excellence for Renewable Energy and Efficiency (EACREEE) and the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today establishing a new partnership aimed at boosting renewable energy deployment and advancing the transition to a sustainable energy future in the East African Community (EAC) region. The MoU was signed by Mr. Francesco La Camera, Director-General of IRENA and Dr. Mackay Okure, Interim Executive Director of EACREEE.

The ceremony took place during the Plenary of the 10th Session of the IRENA Assembly presided by the Second Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Uganda, Hon. Ali Kirunda Kivejinja. Hon. Kivejinja noted that EACREEE is a very crucial institution for promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in the region, that he pushed for its establishment.

EACREEE was one of five international organizations the Director General signed MoUs with. At the occasion, IRENA acknowledged the role that partnerships with international organizations plays in accelerating the energy and climate transformation that is required to achieve SDG7 and the Paris Agreement on climate change. "IRENA has been working closely with these organizations and had found it befitting to formalize and enhance the collaboration through signing MOUs” said IRENA Director-General, Mr. Francesco La Camera.

Prof. Okure noted that the signing of an MOU between the IRENA and EACREEE marks a major milestone towards strengthening global partnerships that is required to support EACREEE in implementing its Strategic Plan (2019-2023). “It demonstrates the high level of trust endowed upon us and the potential that can be harnessed in advancing the energy sector development in the EAC region”, he said.

Within the framework of this MoU IRENA and EACREEE work closely across a number of key implementation focus areas, including (i) cooperating and sharing information in the collection and analysis of data and research in areas of mutual interest, (ii) conducting joint capacity building activities under the Africa Clean Energy Corridor (iii) establishing joint programmes with a view to accelerating the deployment of decentralized renewable energy solutions towards achieving universal energy access in the EAC and (iv) jointly organizing outreach and advocacy activities to raise awareness on viable renewable energy solutions and promote platforms to facilitate access to sustainable finance for renewable energy projects.

In the EAC region, IRENA is already implementing the Africa Clean Energy Corridor (ACEC) is a regional initiative to accelerate the development of renewable energy potential and cross-border trade of renewable power within the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) and Southern African Power Pool (SAPP). Bringing EACREEE on this collaborative work will help strengthen EACREEE’s capacity to provide advisory services to support the deployment of renewable energy and energy transformation for green growth in the EAC region.