Roundup: UNECA, partners join forces to promote EVs, energy storage technologies in Africa

ADDIS ABABA, June 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) and its partners have launched an initiative to promote the development of electric vehicles (EVs) and energy storage technologies in Africa.

The initiative, jointly launched by the UNECA in partnership with the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), and the Association of Power Utilities of Africa (APUA), envisages providing training on EVs and energy storage technologies for Africa's sustainable development, the UNECA disclosed in a statement issued late Wednesday.

The training, supported by Chinese EV enterprises and operated virtually from June 4-14, has attracted more than 140 participants from 25 African countries, who hail from transport and energy ministries, energy commissions, power companies, and academia, as well as other continental development organizations, according to the UNECA.

Hanan Morsy, deputy executive secretary and chief economist at UNECA, underscored that EVs have significant potential in climate change mitigation, energy transition, and value chain development.

She said the UNECA would continue to support African member states in EV development, energy transition and industrialization at large, through a value-chain approach.

Addressing the program's opening session, Liu Xiaoming, counselor of the Mission of China to the African Union, said China will continue to promote and deepen China-Africa cooperation, through EVs and energy storage technologies, experience sharing, technology transfer, and partnerships between Chinese and African enterprises as pathways to support Africa's energy transition.

The capacity training program is said to be part of the UNECA, GEIDCO and APUA joint initiative, which intends to establish a platform for sharing and cooperation on EVs and energy storage technologies among research and development centers, manufacturers, and stakeholders. After the training, country-specific analysis and roadmap planning on EVs and energy storage technologies will be carried out on a need basis.

To advance the sustainable development agendas, African countries "could transform their potential in renewable energies and critical minerals resources into industrial advantages, through the development of local value chains and coordinated promotion of electrification, industrialization, and sustainable development," said Wu Xuan, secretary general of GEIDCO.

According to the UNECA, the training modules cover a wide range of topics including charging facilities, network security, energy storage, EV standards and initiatives, electric public transportation systems, agricultural EVs and value chains, EV maintenance, and battery reliability.