ECOWAS National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs)

The ECOWAS Renewable Energy Policy (EREP), recently adopted by the Authority of ECOWAS Heads of State and Government,  aims to increase the share of renewable energy in the region’s overall electricity mix to 10% (2.425 MW) in 2020 and 19% (7.606 MW) in 2030 (excl. larger hydro power). The action plan of the EREP foresees that by the end of 2014, all fifteen ECOWAS countries shall adopt National Renewable Energy Action Plans (NREAPs) and policies (NREPs) which will contribute to the achievement of the regional ECOWAS targets by 2020 and 2030. The NREAPs will include national renewable energy benchmark on the status quo, and will propose attainable RE targets based on national potential and socio-economic assessments. Moreover, an overview on concrete laws, incentives and measures to be implemented by the country to achieve the targets will be proposed. Countries that do not currently have an NREP in place or have to update the old policy to align with the new targets shall initiate the process to develop such a policy in parallel. ECREEE has been assigned by the ECOWAS Energy Ministers to develop a regional implementation framework for this process and to assist the Member States to elaborate and develop National Renewable Energy Policies (NREPs), based on appropriate least cost technology options, and an implementation strategy covering the period up to 2030 and propose for the first five years an action plan with a rolling budgeting plan.

As mandated by the ECOWAS Energy Ministers, ECREEE is currently developing a practical framework for the development, implementation and monitoring of the NREAPs and NREPs by 2030. By the end of 2013, policy experts from all ECOWAS countries will be trained in the use of the NREAPs templates. The framework builds on the experience of the European Union in the implementation of the Renewable Energy Directive. The activity is undertaken with support of the Energy Component of the GEF Strategic Programme for West Africa, coordinated by ECREEE and UNIDO. In relation to this exercise, there is also a current effort to collect and update relevant data, which will be available on the ECOWREX soon.