Presentations in this session provided in-depth analyses of technical roadmap, including NDC goals, specific new technologies, implementation plan, etc., described their role in a city level, national or regional context, and demonstrate how they contribute to achievement of NDC goals. Decision-makers will gain an appreciation of the importance of energy roadmaps in the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation, and their role in meeting ambitious NDC targets.
Moderator:
Anindya Bhattacharya, Executive Director, The Celestial Earth
Presentations:
- Innovative Renewable Energy Procurement Strategies for the Small Island States
Amanda Lonsdale, Commercial Advisor to Tonga Power, Magnitude Global Finance
The Kingdom of Tonga, through its NDC, has committed to making 70% of its power generation renewable by 2030. To meet this goal, Tonga Power and its advisors are looking to issue a technology-agnostic tender for up to 37GWh of renewable generation capacity. The objective of an all-in-one tender is to achieve a lower overall price for energy and secure a partner in the transformation of the country’s grid now and into the future. The tender will be the first of its kind to focus on dispatchability—developers will be asked to develop projects that can meet the changing demand profile of the island, minimizing payment for unused energy and maintain network reliability. This project is funded by the ADB as part of its efforts to promote renewable energy in the Pacific. The purpose of the session will be to have a discussion around innovative renewable energy procurement and financing models for small island states. The presenter(s) will preview the structure of the tender, and have a discussion with interested parties around strengths, weaknesses, and marketability.
- Electric Cooking: The Way Forward
Reji Kumar Pillai, President; Chairman India Smart Grid Forum; Global Smart Energy Federation
About 4 million people die prematurely from diseases caused by household air pollution, primarily from cooking with firewood, charcoal and biomass. As of 2019, 63% rural and 18% urban households in India use firewood, dung cakes or biomass for cooking and nearly 600,000 people died of household air pollution in India in 2019. Therefore, to reduce air pollution and deforestation as well as to meet the NDC targets, it is imperative that emissions from the kitchen must be reduced drastically. Having electrified almost all households in the country and with surplus electricity generation capacity, India should actively promote electric cooking as it is the fastest and least cost route to achieve NDC target and will also reduce LPG imports saving billions of dollars leading towards a self-reliant India.
- Energy Impact Fund: Catalytic Financing for Meaningful Development in Myanmar
Angus Dutton, Communications and Project Support Coordinator, Smart Power Myanmar
No country on earth has achieved meaningful development for its people without mass access to reliable and affordable electricity. However, communities in Myanmar lack the upfront capital they require to realize electricity’s potential. Families require capital to connect to the national grid and decentralized renewable energy solutions such as mini-grids. Micro-enterprises need support to purchase new equipment that would boost productivity and accelerate business development. Without financing, Myanmar cannot achieve economic development. To address this issue, Smart Power Myanmar (SPM) has designed an innovative, direct-delivery revolving credit facility to accelerate energy access and catalyse economic opportunity. At ACEF 2021, SPM seeks to present our experiences delivering this low-cost funding. Our evidence shows that targeted financing can: boost electricity connections by 35%; reduce businesses’ costs by 70%; and grow incomes by 50%. This demonstrates the impact of flexible financing in Myanmar and signals potential for significantly increased financing for communities.
Panelists:
- Michael Lochinvar Abundo, Managing Director, OceanPixel Pte Ltd
- Thang Nam Do, Research Fellow Grand Challenge Program on Zero Carbon Energy for Asia Pacific, Crawford School of Public Policy, College of Asia Pacific, Australian National University