Strathclyde’s SG Global Renewables Centre hosted delegations from Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda during the week 19th-23rd of February. Representatives from the Renewable Energy Association of Malawi (REIAMA), the Zambian Renewable Energy Association (ZARENA) and the Energy Private Developers Association of Rwanda (EPD), joined with colleagues from Strathclyde for a week of stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange. In addition to spending time learning more about Strathclyde’s research and innovation capabilities, the GRC team and visitors also spent time at Glasgow Caledonian University and Dundee University exploring opportunities for new connections and multi-disciplinary collaborations between all four countries. Local Energy Scotland facilitated site visits to Buchanan micro hydro scheme and the ISKON centre in Lesmahago, allowing the visitors to see community renewable energy systems in action. Engagement with the International Development sector was another strong focus for the week. Visits to the Scottish Government in Edinburgh and joint knowledge exchange events in collaboration with the Scottish Malawi Partnership and the Scottish International Development Alliance were well attended by a range of NGO, SME and policy focussed stakeholders.
The new relationships arising during the week have provided an excellent platform for the GRC to grow emerging networks of expertise and facilitate further collaboration in the coming programme of work through 2024. Developing the academic links between Scottish Universities and new contacts at Universities in Malawi, Zambia and Rwanda is a priority area for 2024 under the next tranche of Scottish Government GRC funding.
An immediate success is the engagement of Strathclyde EEE researchers with a programme of work in Zambia – developing a Rural Electrification Master Plan. This will involve collaboration with a range of stakeholders, including the Government of Zambia’s Ministry of Energy, ZARENA and The Climate Compatible Growth component of the Ayrton Fund.
Strathclyde’s SG Global Renewables Centre Hosts African Delegations for a Week of Collaboration and Innovation
Engaging with Global Partners
From February 19th to 23rd, Strathclyde’s SG Global Renewables Centre (GRC) welcomed delegations from the Renewable Energy Association of Malawi (REIAMA), the Zambian Renewable Energy Association (ZARENA), and the Energy Private Developers Association of Rwanda (EPD) to explore opportunities for international collaboration in renewable energy. The GRC had been establishing new organisation-to-organisation partnerships through the later months of 2023, so when the opportunity arose to host representatives from our new partners for a week of stakeholder engagement and knowledge exchange in Glasgow, we were delighted to have the chance to build personal relationships amongst the team.
Left to Right: Serge MUHIZI Wilson, EPD; Aran Eales, GRC; Soustain Chigalu, REIAMA, Joanna Keating, Scottish Government; Michael Tarney, ZARENA; Allen Munganyinka, EPD; Chikuku Katebe, ZARENA; Tasha Boardman, Scottish Government; Chilobmo Chilla, ZARENA; Damien Frame, GRC; Emmanuel Kaliwo, REIAMA.
Exploring Research and Innovation
The visitors spent significant time learning about Scotland’s cutting-edge research and innovation capabilities. This included a visit to Strathclyde’s microgrids laboratory and plenty of discussions around the potential to build the capacity for renewable energy simulation, demonstration and testing in the respective partner countries. The team also visited Glasgow Caledonian and Dundee Universities, hearing about their own international focussed work on energy and climate change, broadening the scope for multidisciplinary collaborations among the four countries.
On-Site Visits and Practical Insights
A major highlight of the week was site visits to the Buchanan micro-hydro scheme, the ISKCON Centre in Lesmahagow, and Whiteless windfarm – a big thank you to our hosts and to Local Energy Scotland who helped make the connections! These tours allowed the delegates to witness community renewable energy systems in action, providing practical insights into the implementation and benefits of such systems.
International Development Focus
Engagement with the International Development sector was another highlight of the week. The delegations visited the Scottish Government in Edinburgh and participated in joint knowledge exchange events with the Scottish Malawi Partnership and the Scottish International Development Alliance. These events attracted a diverse group of stakeholders, including NGOs, SMEs, and policy-focused entities, fostering wide ranging discussions and new connections. Having our partners in the room to give their local perspective and discuss the connections between energy access and other development issues gave the events a really valuable dimension.
Building Future Collaborations
The new relationships formed during the week have created a strong foundation for the GRC to expand its network of expertise and facilitate further collaborations throughout 2024. Strengthening academic links between Scottish universities and counterparts in Malawi, Zambia, and Rwanda is a priority under the next phase of Scottish Government GRC funding.
One immediate outcome of this engagement is the collaboration between Strathclyde EEE researchers and a new project in Zambia focused on developing a Rural Electrification Master Plan, supporting the Government of Zambia’s Rural Electrification Agency. We are hoping this is just the first of many new collaborations that will come through with the support of the GRC.
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