Kigali, 22 April 2024 – The Smart Energy Solutions for Africa (SESA) project, funded by the Horizon 2020 programme from the European Commission, is thrilled to announce the Third Regional Event, Invest & Procure Summit, and Policy Dialogue in Kigali, Rwanda, from the 22nd to the 26th of April 2024.

The project aims to provide energy access technologies and business models for sustainable development in Africa. The SESA consortium’s commitment to engaging with regional authorities, local authorities, and citizens takes centre stage in this event, hosted by the University of Rwanda (UR), a consortium member of the SESA project. The event is supported by SESA Consortium members: ICLEI Africa, ICLEI Europe, Technical University Berlin, Smart Innovation Norway, F6S, and Siemens Foundation.

The event offers a unique opportunity for participants to engage in knowledge sharing, discuss challenges, and explore best practices with representatives from the consortium partners and various African countries. The event will also provide insights into the successful implementation of SESA sustainable energy solutions in Kigali, Rwanda.

“The Regional Event in Rwanda is the perfect platform to discuss, exchange and learn about practical energy solutions not only among the participating SMEs but also to further engage with the policy makers about regulatory needs. The clean energy investment in Africa needs to double to increase electricity access, and to create a social and economic impact more capacity building across diverse groups is required, particularly focusing on women” shared Magdalena Sikorowska from ICLEI European Secretariat, SESA Project Coordinator.

Acting as an integral element of the SESA project, the Third Regional Event and Policy Dialogue workshops form part of the Regional Capacity Building activities. In Rwanda, the project collaborates with stakeholders to identify barriers and policy gaps in energy technology solutions. This analysis will guide refined policy recommendations and the scaling of technologies into innovative business models for sustainable energy.

“Hosting the SESA Regional Event and policy dialogue is a good opportunity where the University of Rwanda is able to inform policy makers about the project’s research finds on smart energy solutions, general developments and in return receive inputs from industry actors, public representatives, private sectors and academia for improvement on the deployed activities” as stated by Gasore Geoffrey and Jean-Marie Bikorimana lecturers at University of Rwanda and UR-SESA team.

The agenda includes various workshops starting with the business mentoring for the beneficiary start-ups from the SESA Call for Entrepreneurs 2023, the SESA Invest & Procure Summit, the official Energy Policy Dialogue and an open session about peer-to-peer exchange between European cities and African cities complemented by capacity building.

About SESA

SESA (Smart Energy Solutions for Africa) is a collaborative project between the European Union and nine African countries aimed at providing energy access technologies and business models. It facilitates the co-development of scalable and replicable energy access innovations, to be tested, validated, and later replicated throughout the African continent.

Following the SESA project’s 2nd SESA Call for Entrepreneurs 2023, ten ventures have been selected to join the SESA Accelerator Program organised by Smart Innovation Norway (SIN). The companies include:

6. Ohengo Investments, Namibia
7. DRITOVEN Engineering, Namibia
8. Cool Lions, Cote D’Ivoire
9. Germark Holdings, Tanzania
10. DeOlivette, Nigeria

The 6-week programme will run from 8th March 2024 to 11th April 2024 and will focus on replication potentials, growth strategies and scaling. The Accelerator program will be supported by experienced SIN mentors and international guest speakers and cover several relevant topics below. 

Quotes from the SESA-Project members:

 “This Accelerator Program allows SMEs not only to exchange and share experiences but most of all, it provides practical tips on how companies can progress and grow their businesses smartly.”

–  Magdalena Sikorowska (SESA Project Coordinator) 

“The SESA Accelerator Program is a unique opportunity for SMEs to learn from each other and from experienced mentors and speakers. I’m looking forward to seeing how the SMEs will apply the knowledge and tools they will acquire during the program to their business models and strategies.”

– Mikael Melitshenko (Incubator/Accelerator Program Developer) 

‘’To have a sustainable business model, learning from best practices and a structured incubator and accelerator program is crucial. SESA perfectly addresses this through dedicated tasks and activities that combine technical requirements and business models with a higher replication potential.’’

– Dr. Alemu Belay (Work Package leader) 

19 female students and graduate engineers were trained on clean cooking technology by Smart Energy Solutions for Africa (SESA) at the Rwanda Replication Action. The training was offered by lecturers on energy at the University of Rwanda, partners in the SESA project and technicians from EcoGreen Solution Ltd.

The training for women in clean cooking technology was a transformative experience that occurred on two separate occasions. The first session, held on the 20th and 21st February, brought together a group of 10 women. Following the success of the initial training, a second session took place on the 27th and 28th February, this time with a group of 9 women. Both training sessions unfolded at the EcoGreen plant, a facility dedicated to the manufacturing of pellets and improved cookstoves. These sessions not only empowered participants with valuable skills but also highlighted the commitment of the project to fostering knowledge and expertise in sustainable energy solutions.

The training aimed to achieve three primary objectives: firstly, to familiarize trainees with the opportunities within the clean cooking technology sector; secondly, to equip them with practical skills in the manufacturing process of improved cookstoves and the production of biomass pellets; and thirdly, to enhance their entrepreneurial capabilities and understanding of business ethics to empower them in initiating startups in clean cooking technology.

The positive outcomes of the training included trainees’ ability to identify job opportunities and businesses within the clean cooking technology sector. Furthermore, they gained fundamental knowledge in improved cookstove manufacturing and biomass pellet production, laying a foundation for potential startup ventures.