PRAIA, CAPE VERDE (BNO NEWS) – A new regional center to develop renewable energy for West Africa opened on Tuesday in Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) announced.

UNIDO also supported the construction of the facility along Spain, Austria and Cape Verde. The Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), a specialized agency of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), will help develop renewable energy and energy efficiency markets, formulate policy, build capacity, and design financing plans.

“The current energy systems in the ECOWAS region are failing to support the growth prospects of the over 262 million inhabitants, especially the needs of the poor. The creation of ECREEE is a central milestone in efforts to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and services in the region,” said Yoshiteru Uramoto, Deputy to UNIDO’s Director-General.

The West African region has vast solar energy potential. There are also considerable wind, tidal, ocean thermal and wave energy resources available. However, traditional biomass is the main source of energy for the majority and accounts for 80 percent of total energy used for domestic purposes.

UNIDO has many projects in Africa where renewable energy sources are used to promote the development of small industries, particularly in rural areas, and for contributing to growth and poverty reduction. Small hydro, biomass gasification, wind energy, solar thermal and photovoltaic energy are the renewable energy sources used in the UNIDO projects.

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