FINNISH COMPANIES EYE THE RENEWABLE ENERGY MARKET IN AFRICA
Last week, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland released a report on the market potential for renewable energy in eastern and southern African countries. The report covered 15 countries, which will also be included in the next stage of the Energy and Environment Partnership EEP initiated by Finland.
The purpose of the survey was to review the energy development challenges facing African countries and how the challenges could be met through development cooperation and private sector participation. The survey was carried out by Danish Energy Management, a Danish energy consultancy firm.
More than 180 million people in eastern and southern Africa live without energy. According to a recent study, the region's renewable energy markets offer both risks and significant opportunities.
Even though the renewable energy market in the regions covered by the survey involves risks, it also offers huge customer potential. Koivu adds that companies can also obtain development funding and support from a broad range of different sources. The governments of the countries in question are also committed to promoting renewable energy solutions even though their record has been mixed.
The purpose of the survey was to review the energy development challenges facing African countries and how the challenges could be met through development cooperation and private sector participation. The survey was carried out by Danish Energy Management, a Danish energy consultancy firm.
More than 180 million people in eastern and southern Africa live without energy. According to a recent study, the region's renewable energy markets offer both risks and significant opportunities.
Even though the renewable energy market in the regions covered by the survey involves risks, it also offers huge customer potential. Koivu adds that companies can also obtain development funding and support from a broad range of different sources. The governments of the countries in question are also committed to promoting renewable energy solutions even though their record has been mixed.
So far, Finnish companies have played a fairly modest role in the projects supported by EEP. Koivu believes that Finnish companies could offer more to the renewable energy markets in Africa.
In his view, there should be a better mix of reliable technical solutions and funding.
“Finland has top-level technological know-how and excellent products. I believe that Finnish engineers know how to tune their products in accordance with different countries’ requirements.”
source:formin.finland.fi
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