Press Release No: P005/18/AFREC

Kigali, RWANDA, October 2nd 2018: The 3rd Africa Smart Grid Forum was organized jointly by the Rwandan Government represented by the Rwanda Development Board, the Rwanda Standards Board and the African Electrotechnical Standardization Commission (AFSEC) in collaboration with the African Energy Commission "AFREC" from October 1st to October 04th 2018.

The Forum focalizes on International Experiences of Intelligent Electrical Networks for the sharing of experiences from experts from different countries on the theme of implementing a Smart Grid System as well as presenting ways of establishing implementation strategies for the development of smart grids in AFRICA.

The Director General / Rwanda Standard Board addressed a welcoming statement to the participants in the Forum, by expressing his gratitude to the AFSEC for organizing this important event in the Republic of RWANDA. He emphasized that it the organization of the event was remarkable and having a meeting like this was considered as a success. The Director General of the Rwandan Agency elucidated the necessity of finding solutions to the absence of energy. We need to set up smart grids sites to dully serve the African world. He stressed on the fact that it is essential to promote standardization in order to evaluate performance. Long-term solutions are needed and this is done with standardization. Initiatives are to be taken with organizations in the standardization sector while removing certain hindering factors. Africa has a favorable environment and through unity we will achieve good results for a favorable continental reality.

The CEO/ Rwanda "Energy Group" reminded the audience that it is the 3rd Africa Smart Grid Forum, after the two "1st and 2nd" Africa Smart Grid Forum held respectively in Abidjan and in Cairo, highlighting that we will continue with the same frequency to achieve our goal with the great partnership with the African Union, AFSEC and other Organization. The CEO/ Rwanda "Energy Group" indicated that today, for any company that builds, demand must be controlled and we must focus on controlling demand and reducing the electricity cost. The distribution of energy in Africa is difficult but we will know how to do it thanks to forums of this like. We just have to control what we use in order to know what we are providing.

The President of the African Electro technical Commission for Standardization (AFSEC) expressed his joy in witnessing the organization, for the 3rd time, of the an Africa Smart Grid Forum, including this Forum held in the Republic of Rwanda to find the key to Sustainable Energy in Africa. He pointed out that AFSEC was created in 2008 by the African Union. The role of AFSEC is to help Africa in setting up the existing international standards and to implement in the African Union projects in such a way to respond favorably to the African markets. Hence, it would be necessary to:

- Foster international cooperation,
- Promote economic integration.

He explained that in the face of changing technologies, standardization is important and fundamental. It is a necessary condition to secure our markets. The African market can only function properly through quality derived from standardization. He expressed his disappointment regarding the fact that many countries in the African continent are not members of AFSEC, underscoring the need for all countries to join.

The Representative of the African Union Commission (AUC) affirmed that AFSEC is supported by the African Union due to the paramount role it represents to the eyes of the Intelligent Networks in Africa. He highlighted that the two events that are organized the same week and at the same place, at the Palais des Congrès, Kigali in the Republic of Rwanda:

- The AFREC Seminar on Energy Efficiency, 1 and 2 October 2018 and,
- The 3rd Africa Smart Grid Forum, 1 to 4 October 2018.

are an opportunity to debate the subject of African energy development Efficiently and normally. The Representative of the African Union Commission said that Africa has no option but to consider smart grids to reach the challenges. To serve the African people, we must improve access to energy and security in the supply of energy that must be reliable. Africa is dropping back while Europe has come a long way to prominence. So it would be necessary to achieve:

- a systematic growth in the use of smart grids,
- a conformed standardization and use,
- Africa will benefit more by adopting smart grid,
- It is important that, with decisions to accelerate the establishment of smart grids, the energy sector becomes more cost-effective and attract private sectors.

Intelligent Technologies will enable Africa to export energy to Europe and even to the Middle East.

H.E the Minister in charge of Energy, Water and Sanitation of the Republic of Rwanda expressed her contentment to see the 3rd Africa Smart Grid Forum in hosted by Rwanda in Kigali and welcomed all the attendance. The Minister explained that in Africa it is necessary to adopt the right standards to succeed in our energy projects and that AFSEC is an important key to improve smart grid technology - relying on the Experts to take advantage of their rich experiences.

The Executive Director of the African Energy Commission (AFREC) expressed his pleasure to address the participants of the 3rd Forum on Smart Grids in Africa. He expressed his deep gratitude to the Government of the Republic of Rwanda for hosting the 1st AFREC Seminar on Energy Efficiency and the 3rd AFSEC Forum on Smart Grids in Kigali.

The AFREC Interim Executive Director stressed that the renewable and traditional energy resources of our continent are huge and can meet most of the future energy demand and that total energy consumption in Africa remains dominated by biomass up to at 50% and it continues to increase.

The majority of this consumption is dominated by rural areas, stating that the smoke of traditional cooking causes various diseases and kills more than 4 million people a year, worse than malaria and HIV.

The Interim Executive Director of AFREC explained that renewable energies are an excellent opportunity; we can have electricity without waiting for the grid. The prices of solar, wind and battery storage are falling so quickly. Achieving universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy in Africa is an opportunity to develop sustainable climate resilience. He explained that the "smart grid" represents the future of electrical systems because it is designed to meet the four main electricity needs of our global society: capacity, reliability, efficiency and sustainability. The world of electricity is changing and Africa needs to understand these changes to ensure that all utilities on the continent are equipped to face future challenges and to provide electricity to consumers most efficiently possible.

In conclusion, AFREC's IP Director took the opportunity to present the African Energy Commission (AFREC) to all the attendance, informing them that AFREC is the African Union's instance responsible for ensuring , to coordinating, harmonizing, developing and integrating energy resources on the continent and that it was officially launched in February 2008 in Algiers, Algeria, following a conference of African Ministers of Energy.

The Interim Executive Director said that AFREC is celebrating its "10th Anniversary" this year, which highlights the contributions made to African countries' capacity building by announcing that AFREC has created the African Energy Information System (SIEA) and its database, a first of its like in the continent, in collaboration with the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the Honorable African Ministers of Energy. The (SIEA/ AEIS) is composed of five pillars: energy statistics database, energy efficiency database, renewable energy database, energy infrastructure database and socioeconomic database on energy. The first pillar of the SIEA Database on the "Energy Statistics Database" was launched in 2012 and published annually. The second pillar of the AEIS database on the "Energy Efficiency Database" was created by AFREC in 2017 and was launched by the residential sector and other sectors will follow.

Over the past ten years, AFREC has trained more than 480 African energy experts in the collection of energy statistics and energy efficiency data and renewable energy technologies, particularly in the solar, wind and geothermal fields through the organization of around 50 regional training workshops. The Interim Executive Director of the African Energy Commission wished all the audience a successful debate and a pleasant stay in Kigali.

For more Information:
Mr. Atef MARZOUK, Interim Executive Director of African Energy Commission (AFREC)
E-mail: marzouka@africa-union.org Website: www.afrec-energy.org Algiers, Algeria
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