The Alliance for Rural Electrification (ARE) and the Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP) are co-hosting a series of free-of-costs events to promote decentralised renewable energy technologies and cooperation.

• Day 1 : ARE Energy Access Investment Summit
• Day 2 : RECP Business and Finance Matchmaking Forum
• Day 3 : ARE General Assembly 2016
• Day 3 & 4 : ARE Rural Electrification Training

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Video Footage

ARE Video

ARE Energy Access Investment Summit Results & Key Recommendations

DAY 1: ARE ENERGY ACCESS INVESTMENT SUMMIT

BACKGROUND
Thanks to the kind support of ING, ARE is hosting a one-day Energy Access Investment Summit at ING headquarters to bring together key decision makers as well as institutional and business representatives to develop business strategies. This ARE event aims to discuss market conditions and key policy and financial initiatives on existing and upcoming rural electrification business opportunities in developing and emerging markets.

This is a chance for interested participants to understand where the opportunities lie and how you can take advantage of them, while also creating the appropriate networks to get engaged.

The summit is open to the private sector, financiers, the (inter)national and European public sector representatives, business networks and civil society organisations that would like 

• to meet ARE members and partners; and
• to venture or to expand investment and operations in rural electrification and renewable energy markets.

WHERE

ING PR Centrum Zandkasteel
Bijlmerplein 888
1102 MG Amsterdam
Netherlands

WHEN
12 April 2016

AGENDA
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09:00 – 09:30: Registration / Coffee
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09:30 – 13:00: Decentralised Renewable Energies – Key Drivers for SDG and SE4All Objectives

09:30 – 10:15: Welcome and Introduction

• Ernesto Macías, President, ARE
• Kees Rade, Ambassador Sustainable Development and Director Inclusive Green Growth, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands
• Roberto Ridolfi, Director for Sustainable Growth and Development, DG for International  Cooperation and Development, European Commission
• Christophe Yvetot, Head of UNIDO Liaison Office to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg, UN Industrial Development Organisation

10:15 – 10:30: Keynote speech

• Rachel Kyte, CEO, SE4All and Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General

10:30 – 11:30: Deployment of decentralised Renewable Energies in the emerging and developing world
Though we are increasingly speaking about globally integrated markets there is still a need to differentiate between immature and mature as well as between grid and off-grid markets. The objective of the session is that panelists present their insights into growth perspectives, market & industry trends, business gaps and opportunities for RE off-grid markets in order to develop key recommendations.

• Guilherme Collares Pereira, Director of International Relations - Access to Energy, EDP and ARE Board Member (moderator)
• Eun Young So, Programme Officer, PV Costs and Markets in Africa, IRENA
• Frederik Jan van den Bosch, Fund Manager Massif and Blending, ElectriFI / FMO
• Christine Lins, Executive Secretary, REN21
• Dean Cooper, Chair of the Steering Committee, SE4All HIO Clean Energy Mini-grids
• Nico Tyabji, Associate, Bloomberg New Energy Finance / Climatescope

Q&A
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11:30 – 12:00: Coffee Break and Networking
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12:00 – 13:00: Decentralised Renewable Energies in the Developing World –  Venture business models for rural electrification
How to attract appropriate financing for rural electrification projects in the light of the (perceived) risks and to reduced capacity to pay of rural populations? This must be considered when developing sustainable business models and involving venture finance. The objective of the panel discussions is to develop recommendations for overcoming all kind of short and long term risks, ensuring sustainability, as well as presenting successful financing models.

• Caroline Nijland, Director Business Development, FRES and ARE Vice-President (moderator)
• Manoj Sinha, Co-Founder, Husk Power Systems, India
• Sara Dourado, Team leader, TESE Bambadinca in Guinea-Bissau
• Martin Hiller, Director General, REEEP
• Benjamin Pallière, Rural Electrification Expert, GERES
• Wim van Nes, Global Sector Coordinator – Energy, SNV Netherlands Development Organisation

Q&A
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13:00 – 14:00: Lunch and Networking
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14:00 – 17:00: Decentralised Renewable Energies – Talking Business and investment
The widespread implementation of a fully private sector based business model can only be viable once the perceived and real market failures no longer exist. The objective of the panel discussions is to discuss main lessons learnt/experiences by rural electrification operators working with specific technologies in different developing regions, in order to develop key recommendations.

In particular, topics for discussion are how to facilitate greater access to finance, how to make a project bankable and which countries in the region seem mature for effective and rapid decentralised electrification.

14:00 – 14:10: Introductory remarks

• Dr. Wim Sinke, Professor, University of Amsterdam & Manager Program Development Solar Energy, ECN

Panel discussions
14:10 -15:00: Talking Business and investment in the African Context with Solar Home Systems

• Anthony Ighodaro, Managing Director at KXN Nigeria Ltd, AREA and ARE Board Member (moderator)
• Djibril Semega, Director, Yeelen Kura in Mali
• Davidi Vortman, CEO & Co-Founder, Lumos
• David Otieno, Project Manager, Africa-EU Energy Partnership
• Christopher Baker-Brian, Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer, BBOXX
• Koen Peters, Executive Director, GOGLA

Q&A

15:00 – 16:00: Talking Business and investment in the Latin American Context with Small Hydro/RE hybrid grids

• Karl Kolmsee, Founder, Smart Hydro Power and ARE Board Member (moderator)
• Michael Köberlein, Senior Advisor, GIZ
• Menno Broers, Managing Director, BT Projects
• Jose Gabriel Martin Fernandez, Project manager, Fundación ACCIONA Microenergia
• Xavier Vallve, Associate Manager, TTA

Q&A

16:00 – 17:00: Talking Business and investment in Asia with hybrid mini-grids

• Michael Wollny, Wollny Consulting and ARE Vice-President (moderator)
• Fuad Siala, Energy Adviser, OPEC Fund for International Development
• Rebecca Symington, Executive Director, Mlinda Charitable Trust
• Ernesto O. Silvano Jr, Head of the Office of the Renewable Energy Development (ORED), National Electrification Administration (NEA) of the Philippines
• Vimal Mahendru, IEC Ambassador and President, Legrand - India
• Kostis Tselenis, Head of Investments, Quadia

Q&A
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17:00 – 17:15: Closing remarks & Introduction of RECP Business and Finance Matchmaking Forum

• Ernesto Macías, President, ARE
• Caroline Nijland, ARE Vice-President and Director Business Development FRES
• Marcus Wiemann, ARE Executive Director

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18:00 – 20:00: ElectriFI Reception + Celebration of ARE 10^th Anniversary
(with high-level representatives of the Dutch government)
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DAY 2: RECP BUSINESS AND FINANCE MATCHMAKING FORUM

BACKGROUND
The RECP, of which ARE is a key partner, is hosting the conference's "Business Day," which will mobilise its extensive partner networks to bring together African and European entrepreneurs and financiers active in the field of rural electrification.

The event will feature innovative financing instruments presenting their approach and modalities to participating companies. Furthermore, remaining barriers and opportunities in financing rural electrification projects will be discussed in a dedicated panel discussion.

At the heart of the program is a structured matchmaking session offering your business the chance to meet your next business partner or financier!

In addition to the overall mobilisation via our partner networks, the RECP is sponsoring the participation of a variety of African project proponents looking for business partners and/or sources of funding. Furthermore, RECP mobilised the participation of some of the key funding programs for rural electrification projects, such as the European Commission's "ElectriFi", ResponsAbility, TCX Fund, DOEN Foundation et. al.

More information available under www.africa-eu-renewables.org

WHERE
Amsterdam Arena
ArenA Boulevard 1
1101 BA Amsterdam

WHEN
13 April 2016

DAY 3: ARE GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2016

BACKGROUND
The Alliance and its board has the pleasure to invite all members to attend the next ARE General Assembly at the NUON headquarters in Amsterdam. With the better positioning in the fields of rural development and electrification, you can directly contribute to the ARE strategy and activities.

In order to create synergies, the General Assembly will be linked with the ARE-RECP Off-grid Investment Forum to advance cooperation between public and finance sector as well as practitioners.

WHERE
NUON Headquarters
Hoekenrode 8
1102 BR Amsterdam Zuid-Oost
Netherlands

WHEN
14 April 2016 (morning)

DAY 3 & 4: ARE RURAL ELECTRIFICATION TRAINING

BACKGROUND
ARE offers a rural electrification financing training for its members. The objective is to get concrete insight in the financial conditions of decentralised energy markets and how to best apply for funding opportunities

WHERE
NUON Headquarters
Hoekenrode 8
1102 BR Amsterdam Zuid-Oost
Netherlands

WHEN
14-15 April 2016

More information to follow soon.

KEY PARTNER

SILVER SPONSORS

SUPPORTING PARTNERS