2008-06-03 - ABB’s Access to Electricity programme was highlighted at the Energy Poverty Alliance (EPA) workshop, hosted by the World Economic Forum in Cape Town on 3 June 2008. The workshop was held before the WEF meeting from 4-6 June.
The alliance, a public-private partnership to deliver business best practices to reduce energy poverty, includes Wattenfall, Eskom, Sasol and partners, the World Energy Council and the WBCSD. ABB was involved in the formation of the alliance in 2003.
Carlos Pone, CEO of ABB South Africa, was invited to share the ABB Group’s Access to Electricity programme with participants in the workshop from utilities, private companies, government representatives from Southern Africa and financing organisations. Pone outlined the programme’s projects in Africa and India.
The ABB programme helps develop and implement successful models for electrification of rural and semi-urban societies.
ABB electrified the remote village of Ngarambe in Southern Tanzania in partnership with the local community, the District Council and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). Electrification has occurred through a diesel generator but the second phase aims to run the generator on locally-produced biofuels.
In the desert region of Rajasthan in India, ABB has also been involved in a public-private partnership with a local NGO, the state government and the villagers to provide basic solar power to poor communities in remote areas.
“Through these projects we have aligned our corporate social investment with our core business skills to bring electricity to rural communities,” Pone said.
He added that although ABB had financed its own projects, new approaches were needed to speed public-private financing or rural electrification projects.
ABB’s programme was well received with delegates commending the company for taking the initiative to self-finance its projects and acting as a leader in the electricity industry.
With some 80% of people in Africa not having access to electricity – about 500 million people – the EPA plans to scale up its efforts to increase rural electrification projects.