ECOWAS GUINEA CONAKRY – 30 October 2017 A national forum on "Promoting Private investment in standalone solar systems in West Africa and Sahel” under the Regional Off-Grid Electrification Project (ROGEP) was held in Guinea Conakry on Monday 30^th October 2017. The workshop, was the first of its kind and brought together over 50 participants from the Guinean public and private sectors, financial institutions and other stakeholders in renewable energy. It was jointly organized by the ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) and the Ministry of Energy and Hydraulics of Guinea.

The synergy was meant to create awareness and share information on the ROGEP with national stakeholders to ensure their active participation in the implementation of the project. The ROGEP, funded by the World Bank is being implemented by ECREEE. The Energy Advisor, Soriba Surcouf Bangoura, who represented the Guinean Minister of Energy and Hydraulics at the opening ceremony commended ECREEE and the World Bank for the initiative. He said the electrification of households, public institutions and the country’s productive sectors through the standalone solar system, is one of his ministry’s key priorities.

Technical Specialists at ECREEE, Hamadou TCHIEMOGO said the project seeks to expedite the deployment of standalone PV systems in West Africa and Sahel region.  The first phase of ROGEP estimated at a tune of 200MS would be executed from April 2017 to August 2022. The project covers 19 countries including the 15 ECOWAS member states and 4 Sahel countries (Mauritania, Chad, Cameroon and the Central African Republic).

The forum discussed Rural Electrification and Ongoing programs and initiatives in Guinea in the field of Off-grid solar systems, as well as solar modules assembling and installation & maintenance of standalone solar systems. Participants also discussed the successes and constrains in the diffusion of off-grid solar systems in Guinea, obstacles impeding private investment in the Electrification of public institutions (schools and health centers) and identification of technical assistance needs of different national stakeholders. In his closing remarks the Director General of General of AGER Aboubacar Kaloko assured participants of his ministry’s continued support.