Engaging Banks RTAP - Phase II

The project’s objective is to bring additional solutions to achieve the diversification of energy resources in the East African region and help the region’s transition towards renewable energy solutions that are technically, economically and financially viable. The target investments are mainly projects of a maximum amount of EUR 10m in hydroelectricity, biomass, biogas, solar and wind power. Other types of projects eligible to the AFD financing are energy efficiency projects, mainly in the Agribusiness sector. These solutions, both energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, will also contribute to the improvement of the investors’ sustainability, through a more secure power supply and a lower energy bill, thereby boosting the regional dynamic towards “green energy”.

A second EU-AITF technical assistance grant was approved in June 2013 and will finance the experts of the Regional Technical Assistance Programme (RTAP), who are in charge of, amongst others: (i) contributing to the identification of new energy efficiency and renewable energy projects; (ii) supervising pre-feasibility studies and energy audits; (iii) checking the projects’ feasibility studies; (iv) assisting the sponsors in carrying out the first feasibility study and in preparing their project presentation to potential financiers; (v) contributing to the monitoring of the first stages of the project’s implementation; and assisting the banks in thoroughly assessing the risks of the projects and building up their financial and technical expertise through the appraisal of the projects.