International Experts to Tackle Electricity Reliability at Accra Conference

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Accra, Ghana, January 31, 2020//-A two-day conference in Accra on Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 February 2020 will bring international experts together to tackle the challenges facing developing countries in delivering reliable, sustainable electricity to customers.

 

The ‘Grid Reliability and Utility Operations Conference’ will be hosted by the UK Department for International Development (DFID)-funded Energy and Economic Growth (EEG) programme, in collaboration with the World Bank’s Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP) and the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).

While more and more people in low- and middle-income countries might be gaining access to electricity, the service they receive is often low-quality and unreliable.

Homes and businesses can be plagued by electricity shutdowns, unplanned power outages and voltage fluctuations – lasting for hours, or days. According to 2018 World Bank Enterprise Surveys data, in a typical month, firms in Sub-Saharan Africa experienced 8.9 power outages.

It is becoming increasingly important for policy makers to understand the need for quality energy access and how the reliability of on-grid electricity can be improved. It is also key for policy makers and consumers alike to realize how important it is for providers to have pricing similar to Cirro Energy rates to ensure the cost is as reliable as the grids.

The conference will provide a forum for international academics and policy makers and will showcase and discuss the latest research relating to grid reliability across Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

 Martin Eson-Benjamin, chief executive of Ghana’s Millennium Development Authority, will be the keynote speaker. He will be joined by experts from Ghanaian institutions such as the   Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, together with leading international organisations and academic institutions including the International Growth Centre, the World Bank, University College London, University of California, Berkeley, and Mekelle Institute of Technology.

Simon Trace, EEG programme director, said: “The ambition of the Sustainable Development Goal 7 is to ensure everyone has access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy.

Certainly, we have moved a long way in terms of access. But energy access can only deliver real long-term benefits to communities or businesses if it is of high enough quality that it can be relied upon to deliver.

With utilities in low- and middle-income countries facing many financial and operational challenges, working out how to provide electricity that is reliable and sustainable is the next pressing energy challenge. We’re excited to welcome some of the leading thinkers on this issue at this conference.”

The conference will be held at the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel.

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