ECOWAS parliamentarians has lauded the Centre for Renewable Energy and Industrial Maintenance (CERMI) for delivering on its mandate.
The ECOWAS Parliamentarian from Cote d’ Ivorie, Hon. Sale Poli who led the delegation stated this during field visit to renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency projects being executed by CERMI, in Praia, Cape Verde as part of their oversight to Praia, Cape Verde.
According to Sale Poli, CERMI is a project of ECOWAS to develope renewable energy. He expressed the delegation’s satisfaction with the project being executed at the Centre especially with the renewable energy production of a little above 4000 megawatts.
In his welcome address, the Chief Executive Officer of CERMI, Luis Teixeira noted that the main objective of the project is to strengthen the regional positioning of the Centre for Renewable Energy and Industrial maintenance.
The CERMI boss further noted that the project objective will further support CERMI in its transformation into a Centre of regional excellence in the field of renewable energy and energy efficiency, by strengthening its internal skills and its links with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
He also noted that Cape Verde clearly recognizes the importance of renewable energy for its strategic development.
Accordingly, the government’s vision, as expressed in its is legislature programme, proposes, amongst other actions, structural measures for the energy sector to transform renewable energy into a sector generating employment and exporting services, in particular for the ECOWAS region, and to put in place efficient energy offer.
In this regard, Teixeira further stated that CERMI plays a leading role and can be seen as the operational instrument for implementing government policies.
Mr.Teixeira further noted that it is precisely within this framework that the Project “Strengthening the Regional the Position in CERMI” (RAR-CERMI-from Portuguese acronym) comes into play.
The project, he said, is also part of the action programme to support the West African region, financed by the 11th European Development Fund (EDF), entitled “Improving Governance in the Energy sector in West Africa” (AGoSEAO).
He also stated that another development partner of CERMI, LuxDev (Luxemburg Agency for Development Cooperation), is responsible for the implementation of the RAR-CERMI Project, with an overall financing of €20 million for a period of 3 years.
The project consists of implementing two large-scale activities for the AGoSE-AO action programme: a train-the-trainers programme and support for the regionalisation of CERMI. Teixeira further stated that aside from CERMI, the project will benefit regional institutions and organizations which have signed Partnership agreements with CERMI.
Trainers he said, will see their skills strengthened, and professionals working in the renewable energy and energy efficiency field, from public and private sectors and civil soceity, will improve their skills as trainers.
The project will then have regional coverage and will be implemented in successive and progressive phases in all ECOWAS Member States and Mauritania.
Mr. Teixeira further disclosed that seven implementing Partners have already been identified at ECOWAS level: the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE); the 2iE of Burkina Faso; the Centre for study and Research in Renewable Energy in Senegal; the National Centre of Solar Energy and Renewable Energy in Mali; the National Centre for Solar Energy of Mali; the Energy Centre-Knust in Ghana; and the National Centre for Energy Efficiency and Conservation (NCEEC) at the university of Lagos, Nigeria.
According to the Chief Execurive of CERMI, supporting the transformation of CERMI from a Centre of expertise in Cabo Verde (Cape Verde) to a regional Centre, is an essential element of the project. He also stated that given CERMI’s excellent infrastructure and equipment, that the fact that there is currently no Centre with these functionalities in the region, the project provides an important opportunity for CERMI to position itself at ECOWAS level.
Partnership with international technical institutions will thus be formalized for the sustainability of the Centre.
