UNIDO supports unlocking decentralized renewable energy solutions

Implementation of decentralized renewable energies (DRE) in industrial processes provides several benefits. Not only for the private sector, but also for rural communities, benefiting from access to affordable and clean energy.

To make DRE solutions accessible for businesses and communities in developing countries, UNIDO partners with the Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE). In 2019, the two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding to further spread innovative clean energy solutions. Within UNIDO, the Energy Systems and Infrastructure (ESI) Division coordinates this partnership.

Of recent, UNIDO’s Investment and Technology Promotion Office (ITPO) in Germany, in coordination with ESI, has partnered with ARE on specific subjects related to its priority sectors. Focusing on the mining and the agricultural sector, UNIDO ITPO Germany and ARE prepared two publications, presenting best practice case studies to raise awareness and support future projects in their implementation.

With the global mining sector being a major energy consumer, there is not only the opportunity to increase reliability of energy supply and decrease the costs of mining activities, but to share the energy infrastructure with communities nearby to improve rural electrification. The joint UNIDO – ARE publication highlights four case studies and two expert interviews, providing valuable recommendations for future projects.

The joint publication on the agribusiness sector discusses how DRE can tackle several problems in one sweep: increasing income of farmers to improve their livelihoods, increasing agricultural production to feed a growing population and improving sustainability. 15 case studies from four different continents illustrate different applications of renewable energies in the agricultural sector, such as cooling systems, irrigation, milling or desalination.

Access the publication on DRE in mining here and in agriculture here.

For more information contact ITPO Germany (itpo.germany [at] unido.org (itpo[dot]germany[at]unido[dot]org))