A five-day in-person workshop in Cape Town marked the conclusion of a 10-month Policy Catalyst programme on Effective Renewable Energy Tendering in Africa. This capacity building initiative, jointly delivered by the World Bank’s ESMAP Sustainable Renewables Risk Mitigation Initiative (SRMI), GET.transform, and the Power Futures Lab aimed at equipping African governments with practical skills to successfully procure clean and affordable renewable energy through private Independent Power Producer (IPP) investment.
Held at the University of Cape Town, the workshop addressed real-world challenges regarding power purchase agreements (PPAs), risk mitigation, bankability, energy planning and financial modelling. Fifty-five participants represented public institutions from 11 countries including Uganda, Mozambique, the Gambia, Eswatini, Lesotho, Namibia, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya, and Liberia. Though technical sessions and peer discussions, they explored how transparent, well-structured tender processes can attract private investment.
Learning from expert instructors from the legal, financial, and development fields, participants deepened their understanding of auction design, risk allocation, and sector-specific issues. The programme also included a certification component led by the Power Futures Lab which encouraged peer exchange and strengthened local ownership of renewable procurement processes.
The action plans the participant countries developed in the end focused on creating national renewable energy auction frameworks that include comprehensive auction design, standardised documentation, and clear governance structures. Countries also identified the need for more capacitation on financial modelling alongside regulatory reforms to unlock competitive renewable energy tendering.
