A roadshow and a workshop on the establishment and the operationalisation of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Regional Transmission Infrastructure Financing Facility (RTIFF), being organised from 03 to 06 July 2023, opened, on Monday, at La Cannelle in Domaine Les Pailles. The event is a joint initiative of the SADC Secretariat and the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, aiming to provide long-term solutions to energy financing challenges within the SADC Region.
The RTIFF is an Investment Financing Facility Project with funding from the World Bank to the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Trade and Development Bank. The objective is to channel and leverage funding towards priority regional transmission projects to accelerate implementation of projects that interconnect all the mainland States and allow new generation sources to increase the regional power pool.
The RTIFF has been identified as one of the viable mechanisms for financing of resilient energy infrastructure in order to secure long-term energy supply. A detailed concept of the RTIFF Facility, the RTIFF establishment plan, and the Financial and Legal Instruments for the establishment and operation of the RTIFF in Mauritius will be presented during the four-day workshop.
The Project scheduled to run from 2020 to 2025 is expected to achieve results that contribute to an improved enabling environment and the availability of long-term finance for private investment in the renewable energy subsector and infrastructure sector in general.
Mauritius can consequently benefit in terms of funding of new projects in the renewable energy space and from the transportation of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and hydrogen as fuel in the future.
The roadshow was officially opened by the Director of Technical Services of the Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, Mr Jahajeeah Doumeraj, whereby he underlined regional integration as a key force for sustainable development to promote economic growth, reduce poverty, foster social development, and protect the environment. The Director also dwelt on the SADC Protocol on Energy which invites Member States to cooperate on energy development, harmonising policies, strategies, and procedures throughout the region to ensure security, reliability, and sustainability of the energy supply.
The workshop will also highlight other key programmes and projects such as the Southern African Power Pool competitive electricity market platforms, service offering from the Project Accelerating Unit on project development, development of the regional grid code and regulatory frameworks, and developments in the renewable energy and energy efficiency sectors.
