Dr. Kandeh Yumkella, Director-General of UNIDO gave opening comments at the REEEP-hosted reception at the Vienna Energy Forum on 29 May 2013; a testament to the close links between the two organisations. In front of several hundred assembled guests in the Kleiner Redoutensaal of the Hofburg Palace, Yumkella warmly praised REEEP’s strong network of project implementers and the organisation’s strong partnership approach in service of providing sustainable energy for all.
Chris Barton, Chairman of REEEP’s Governing Board and Head of International and Domestic Energy Security at the UK Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) took the opportunity to highlight his country’s longstanding support for REEEP, dating back to its founding at the closing session of the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002. Since then, the UK has provided more than €25 million in funding to the Partnership.
Some 30 innovative REEEP-funded projects were showcased at the reception, and guests had the chance to talk face-to-face with their implementers. The initiatives displayed included a variety of business models that address the energy access challenge as well as the energy-food-water nexus. These included:
Financing solar-powered cold-storage for Indonesian fishing communities
Fishing ports in remote areas of Indonesia are benefiting from solar-powered cooling facilities, which reduce spoilage and increase incomes for local fishermen.
Building a distribution network for the Sunflower solar pump
This solar-powered steam pump enables small-holder farmers in Kenya to increase their productivity and have two growing cycles each year.
Furthering clean energy access through pay-as-you-go technology
This project in Kenya is piloting several pricing and payment scenarios for bringing solar-powered lighting to bottom of the pyramid customers on a rent-to-own basis. Angaza Design is the implementer.
Scaling up a business model for distributed energy in Peru
This initiative by PowerMundo widens the uptake of new finance models involving credit and microfinance, recharging kiosks and pay-as-you-go solar hardware.
Business model for clean drinking water using solar RO in the Indian industrial belt
A solar-powered reverse osmosis water filter and cooling system is making clean water available in newly urbanised areas of India where groundwater contamination is a growing issue.
Refreshments at this event were kindly provided courtesy of Gschaar, J. Heinrich, Nadler and Schuckert wineries.
