Projects

Short Description:

Overall goal

The Project aims to undertake a comprehensive consultative preparatory process for a potential ECO Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECEC).

Expected results

Regional agreement on the institutional structure, scope of work and technical design of the ECEC, ist implementation schedule and financing modalities is reached.

Target group / Beneficiaries

The consultative preparatory process will raise awareness and knowledge on sustainable energy issues and the benefits of regional cooperation among the sustainable energy practitioners in the ECO countries. The following target groups will benefit from the preparatory phase on ECEC directly or indirectly:

1. At least 100 energy policy makers of ECO countries (e.g. ministries, provincial governments)

2. At least 20 national institutions of ECO countries in charge of promoting sustainable energy and rural energy

3. At least 10 educational and training institutions (e.g. universities, training centres)

4. At least 10 national utilities and regulators

5. At least 20 energy manufacturing and service companies and/or associations representing ECO countries (e.g. consulting, suppliers, equipment producers, installers, IPPs)

6. At least 20 civil society groups representing ECO countries (e.g. sustainable energy advocacy groups, women groups)

7. Ultimately, the greater population of the ECO Region, local industry and public institutions will benefit from increased access to modern, affordable and reliable energy services.

Activities

Throughout the preparatory process, the added value, the feasibility and the possible technical and institutional design of the ECEC will be determined. The process includes broad stakeholder consultations, consultative workshops, a needs assessment, feasibility study and development of a project document which defines the institutional and technical design of the ECEC during its first operational phase.

The preparatory process includes the following activities:

- Development of TORs for a consultant company to execute the needs and baseline assessment, as well as feasibility study;

- Tendering, selection and contracting of international consultancy company;

- Development of the needs and baseline assessment (incl. survey, interviews) as well as feasibility study in cooperation with consultant and in consultation with national and international key stakeholders;

- Organization of the first regional workshop to validate the needs assessment report and feasibility study (incl. flight bookings, per diem payments). The preparatory phase will only be continued if the results are positive;

- Development of the project document on the technical and institutional design of ECEC based on the findings in the needs assessment and feasibility study (activity will be undertaken in case the validation of the Needs assessment and feasibility study shows positive results);

- Organization of the validation workshop on the project document on the first operational phase of the centre (incl. flight bookings, per diem payments) and submission to ECO decision-making bodies for approval;

- Preparation of background documents and information materials, advocacy, as well as fund raising at important events.

Context

The ECEC process is closely linked to the other centers operating under the umbrella of the GN-SEC. The GN-SEC is an official SDG Partnership and comprises a sub-network of centers for the African and the Arab region (in cooperation with the EAC, SADC, ECOWAS, and the Arab League), as well as a sub-network of centers for Small Island Developing States (in cooperation with SIDS DOCK, CARICOM, and SPC). It is currently expanding to Central America and the

Himalaya-Hindukush region. ECEC would complement and potentially interconnect the Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (RCREEE) for Arab countries with its seat in Egypt, as well as the Himalaya-Hindukush Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Center (HCREEE).

The preparatory process is based on an official request of the ECO Secretariat to UNIDO of 22nd June 2017 for technical assistance in the establishment of a dedicated regional technical institution to support ECO Member States in implementing the regional and national sustainable energy commitments and in up-scaling the sustainable energy markets, industries and innovation in the region.