Renewable energy
Development of the renewable energy sector has the potential to drive economic growth in our partner countries just as it has in Scotland.
Our International Strategy sets out renewable energy as a priority area for our African partner countries (Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia), as well as being an area of global expertise for Scotland.
In line with SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy) and SDG 13 (climate action), the International Development Fund supports the renewable energy objectives of our African partner countries, mainly through our contribution to the Scottish Global Renewables Centre.
Global Renewables Centre (GRC)
We launched the Scottish Global Renewables Centre (GRC) in 2022 to help knowledge exchange between our international development partner countries and the Scottish renewables sector.
The project is delivered in partnership with the University of Strathclyde, The Renewable Energy Industry Association of Malawi, The Zambian Renewable Energy Association, and Energy Private Developers (Rwanda).
The GRC’s long-term objective is to increase and improve use of renewables across our African partner countries and the wider region, in line with their national energy policies.
The GRC has gender and climate justice as cross-cutting themes, to help ensure that the GRC's initiatives are more equitable, inclusive, and effective in achieving the objective of increased deployment of renewable energy. It promotes leadership from the Global South by partnering with local stakeholders to gather perspectives on energy sector priorities and design knowledge exchange activities.
The GRC also engages with local communities and civil society organisations to ensure that their voices are represented in decision-making processes.
It will continue to work to promote local ownership and leadership of renewable energy projects.
Common goals have emerged even though each country is starting from different baselines of energy access, renewable energy adoption and frameworks shaped to their specific country priorities. These include:
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increasing energy access to marginalised communities through renewable energy mini-grids and distributed generation
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increased deployment of solar panels for commercial and industrial loads (both on-grid and off-grid)
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improved business models and investment frameworks; increased female participation in the energy sector
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diversification and improved resilience of energy sources in the face of climate change