The Togolese agency AT2ER received the “Systemic Innovation for Energy Access” award from the British association Ashden. A distinction that honors a country committed to access for all to sustainable electricity.
The British organization Ashden awarded the Togolese Agency for Rural Electrification and Renewable Energies, AT2ER.
Regularly, this British organization, led by Prince Charles, distributes Awards to companies or actors of renewable energies. “Ashden’s goal is to increase access to energy by rewarding innovators and pioneers, the champions of this emerging industry”, said Sarah Butler-Sloss, its founder.
This year, AT2ER was cited as the third of eleven other projects, all British, praised for their role as “exceptional pioneers worldwide”. Is distinguished, through the award “Systemic innovation for energy access”, the commitment of the Togolese group in favor of household access to renewable energy.
“The government has decided to take decisive action in the fight against climate change by making decarbonisation and the promotion of renewable energies the center of its energy policy”, said Minister of Mines and Energy, Marc Dèdèriwè Ably-Bidamon. Who believes that this award, among other elements, rewards the success of the “Cizo” project, “in all its technological and social dimensions”.
Having become a member of the International Solar Alliance (ASI), Togo aims to offer its population by 2030 100% electricity coverage and reserve 50% renewable energy in its energy mix.
In this sense, it deploys various initiatives. In particular, “Cizo”, which has already made it possible to distribute individual solar kits to 35,000 households whose state subsidizes almost 40% of the monthly consumption fee, with $4 per household.
A way to increase financial inclusion!
This rural electrification project aims, by 2022, for access to electricity by supplying individual solar kits at affordable costs to more than two million citizens (or around 300,000 households).
In its social component, the project plans to electrify around 800 health centers, equip 1,000 village water supplies, 3,000 small farms with individual solar water pumping or irrigation systems, and installation of ten mini-grids using smart meters.
One of the essential elements of the project is monitoring the quality of the products and services offered to the populations. All solar systems are therefore equipped with mobile technology enabling them to be monitored remotely and to manage payments.
Thus, in addition to the increase in the rate of rural electrification which should reach 40%, the Cizo initiative intends to encourage the massive adoption of mobile payments in rural areas and therefore the financial inclusion of rural populations.
“I want to achieve electrification for all by 2030 and I want it to be environmentally friendly electrification”, said Faure Gnassingbé, president of Togo, quoted by one of his advisers.
Which adviser specifies to the Togo First agency: “For each village, we calculated what is called the lowest cost of electricity “. Where the population density is low and there is no sense in bringing the network, solar kits will be deployed. “
On the other hand, in villages which are far from the grid but where the population is densely populated, the State installs mini-grids (small electrical networks). “Finally, people who live in electrified areas but do not have access to them will be connected to the national grid.”
Reference: https://www.agenceecofin.com/solaire/0407-78183-le-togo-recoit-le-prix-prix-ashden-2020-pour-sa-politique-de-developpement-des-energies-renouvelables
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels
