At the 9th Meeting of the East African Community (EAC) Sectoral Council on Energy, held on 21 April 2014 in Nairobi, Kenya, the Ministers of Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda adopted the project document and the establishment of the East African Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (EACREEE). In 2012 the five Member States directed the EAC Secretariat to take necessary actions in determining the needs and feasibility of such centre, in line with the ECREEE model in West Africa.

A consultative preparatory process was undertaken with technical support of UNIDO and financial assistance of the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC). The process included the development of a baseline report and a project document on the technical and institutional structure of the centre. A study tour was undertaken by the EAC experts to ECREEE in Praia, Cape Verde.. The project document of the centre was reviewed and validated successfully during a consultative/inception workshop, held from 11 to 12 March 2013 in Arusha, Tanzania, and a validation workshop, held from 6 to 7 May 2013 in Kampala, Uganda.

Similar to ECREEE, the new centre aims at improving energy access, energy security and climate change mitigation by promoting an enabling environment for renewable energy and energy efficiency investments and industries in the East African Community (EAC). The EAC comprises of the five member States - Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda, which represent a growing population of 133 million people and energy consumers. The centre will mitigate existing RE&EE barriers by promoting targeted interventions in the areas of capacity development, policy support, knowledge management and awareness raising, as well as the creation of investment and business opportunities for local companies and industry.

The Ministers took a the decision to undertake a competitive selection process, to determine the host country for the EACREEC. Members States were requested to submit their proposals by the 30 May 2014. H.E. Jesca Eriyo, Deputy Secretary General of the EAC, and Mr. Mahama Kappiah, Executive Director of ECREEE, expressed their intention to cooperate closely under UNIDO´s Global Network of Regional Sustainable Energy Centres.

Further information on the center is available at: www.eacreee.org and through info@eacreee.org