Sierra Leone News: GIZ, Endev Empower Technicians on Renewable Energy

By George M. O Williams

Energising Development (Endev), an energy access partnership, implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbiet (GIZ) will on Friday concluded a five-day Renewable Energy capacity building training for technicians at Biodiversity and Renewable Energy Learning Center, Banga Farm, Sussex in Freetown.

Energising Development (EnDev) is an energy access partnership currently financed by six donor countries: the Netherlands, Germany, Norway, United Kingdom, Switzerland and Sweden.

EnDev promotes sustainable access to modern energy services that meet the needs of the poor.

EnDev works in 25 countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Since 2005, EnDev has taken a leading role at promoting access to Sustainable Energy for All. The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) cooperates closely with the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) on the global programme level.

Endev is aimed at ensuring sustainable and affordable access to renewable energy by strengthening markets and collaboration with various partners from government, international and local donors and the private sectors.

The five-day capacity building training targets 40 solar power voltaic technicians from Sierra Leone and 20 technicians from Guinea. The beneficiaries share their knowledge and experience about Solar Mini-Grids.

It is the first superregional training of it kind. The training builds the capacity of technicians. It is especially designed for and held in collaboration with the three private operators of the 54 Rural Renewable Energy Project (RREP) mini-Grids including Winch Energy, Energicity and Powergen.

Project Coordinator of Endev, Lamin Kamara said that the main objective of the workshop was to bring together experience and professional technicians at various renewable energy sectors to share their technical knowledge, adding that it is of essential to build on young minds in the field of renewable energy.

Representative from Renewable Energy Association Sierra Leone, Golda Williams noted that REASL is a professional association that is focused on the development of an efficient and thriving renewable energy market in Sierra Leone. He said that training of technicians in the renewable energy sector will foster multi-sectorial development for renewable solar and non-renewable energy organization and interested parties.