SESA

Smart Energy Solutions for Africa

  • Project no.252463
  • Duration 10/2021 - 09/2025

The project "SESA – Smart Energy Solutions for Africa" aims to accelerate the green transformation and energy cooperation with Africa. Within the framework of the project funded by the European Union (EU), 30 international partners with different orientations, including local authorities, companies, research, technology and financial experts, are working together on innovative technologies and business models. The aim is to develop energy sources that are easily replicable and create local opportunities for economic development and social cohesion. This cross-sectoral, interdisciplinary and collaborative approach aims to help mitigate climate change while providing access to sustainable and affordable energy. In doing so, the scientists are taking up the promising conditions on the African continent.

The researchers are developing innovative sustainable energy solutions, such as the development of off-grid microgrids, energy storage, energy efficiency and sector coupling. In order to achieve a high degree of replicability of innovative energy access technologies and business models, the project participants test the jointly developed demonstration measures in the Living Lab in Kenya before they are validated in Living Labs of selected African countries such as Ghana, South Africa, Malawi, and Morocco.
The overall objective of the project is to: Provide innovative energy access technologies and business models that are easily replicable and generate local opportunities for economic development and social cohesion.

This will be achieved by delivering on a number of specific objectives that form the basis of the SESA project:

  • Inform: Boost the accessibility of innovative, affordable and efficient renewable energy solutions in support of Africa. SESA will provide a comprehensive toolbox, which will include assessment tools, training material, business models. Life-cycle assessments as well as a range of factsheets and guidance documents will enable take-up and replication of the solutions demonstrated in this project.
  • Inspire: Facilitate exchange and partnerships between Europe and Africa on sustainable energy innovation. SESA will provide trainings and facilitate exchange on innovative, replicable technologies and business models that provide opportunities for a wide range of rural and urban communities.
  • Initiate: Enable innovators in African urban and rural communities to leapfrog to sustainable energy. The SESA project will build on a range of previous and on-going projects and facilitate the co-development of business models around energy technologies that can make an active contribution towards sustainable energy access for all and create opportunities for a wider range of African and European innovators in Africa. SESA will set up a business incubator programme with training and innovation centers hosted at the partner universities in Africa, guided by a team of technology and business experts from Africa and Europe.
  • Implement: Co-develop, validate and replicate innovative energy solutions tailored to urban and rural contexts across Africa. The SESA project will demonstrate technologies and associated business models focusing on renewable energies, energy storage, grids and efficiency and sectoral linkages to serve basic energy needs to rural and urban communities in nine different contexts in Africa to achieve a maximum of replicability.
  • Impact: Foster long-term partnerships and exchange on innovative sustainable energy solutions. The SESA project will actively support the EU/AU Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy and the R&I Partnership on Climate Change and Sustainable Energy and will support local and national governments as well as private sector actors in accessing these dialogues along with relevant financing and funding programmes.

This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and innovation in support of the European Green Deal under grant agreement No 101037141.


EU flag

Further project information

Links


Cookie Settings

Cookies help us to constantly improve the website for you. By clicking on the "Allow cookies" button, you agree to the use of cookies. For further information on the use of cookies or to change your settings, please click on More about the use and rejection of cookies.