African Development Bank (AfDB) has provided financial modelling training to staff of the government of Chad as they prepare the national utility for Desert to Power interventions in the country.  

With plans speeding up for the huge Desert to Power programme spanning the whole Saheel region, the AfDB has launched training for staff within the Chad government to help them prepare for managing major investments in renewables in the country. 

Desert to Power is a flagship programme that aims to light up and power the Sahel region by adding 10GW of solar generation capacity, providing electricity to around 250 million people in 11 countries.

Staff members of Chad’s Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Economy, National Utility Company, Electricity Regulatory Authority and Agency for the Development of Renewable Energies and Energy Management all attended specialist training in Mara. The training enabled participants to take ownership of two technical-financial models developed by the Desert to Power taskforce.

Participants learned to conduct several financial processes involving solar independent power projects. These included gaining an understanding of how to negotiate the purchase price of energy produced by solar projects and analyse the financial relevance of unsolicited bids for solar IPP projects. 

Alifei Djirab Mbodou, deputy director general of the Ministry of Petroleum and Energy, explained: “The training is a real opportunity for Chad. It gave us the tools to measure the financial performance of the sector and to better negotiate transfer prices of energy contracts. We hope that the Bank will continue to organise such trainings to help officials in the energy sector to master planning tools.”

The Bank organised the training following a request from the national utility. The roadmap for Chad, developed by the African Development Bank, identifies major projects that will enable the country to pool its resources to develop a stable and flexible electricity grid, including large-scale solar generation to serve its population.

Dr. Daniel Schroth, the AfDB director for renewable energy and energy efficiency said, “I commend the officials that attended the training. Their participation underscores the Bank’s commitment, through the Desert to Power Taskforce, to accompanying the Government of Chad in effectively implementing the DtP national roadmap through investment projects, technical assistance and capacity building efforts.”

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