Officials from the ministries of transport and energy, staff from public electricity companies and university researchers from 25 African countries are currently taking part in a virtual training course on Sharing Electric Vehicle (EV) and Energy Storage Technology (EST) for sustainable development in Africa. The initiative is led by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA).
Over a two-week period, the participants will learn about recharging facilities, network security, energy storage, electric vehicle standards and initiatives, the electric public transport system, heavy goods vehicles and value chains, electric agricultural vehicles (tractors) and battery reliability. These modules were prepared jointly by specialists from the Energy Research Institute of the State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and Chinese equipment manufacturer NR Electric, among others.
Why China? Because the Middle Kingdom is home to a plethora of electric vehicle manufacturing plants, including those of carmakers Dongfeng Motor and Build Your Dreams (BYD), which are collaborating with assembly start-ups in East Africa. China’s expertise in the manufacture, maintenance and export of electric cars should provide inspiration to African countries looking to diversify their vehicle fleets.
Electric mobility to accelerate the energy transition
Beyond these online workshops, the ECA is above all seeking to create optimum conditions for Sino-African cooperation in the field of electromobility. And Liu Xiaoming, Counsellor of China’s diplomatic mission to the African Union (AU), has clearly understood this, hammering home the words “experience sharing, technology transfer and partnerships between our companies”. The course, which ends on 14 June 2024, is supported by the Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organisation (GEIDCO) and the African Power Utilities Association (APUA).
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These institutions are at the forefront of the energy transition on the African continent, and will therefore support the 140 learners in developing a pan-African platform for sharing between research and development (R&D) centres, manufacturers and stakeholders in electric mobility. In the meantime, all eyes have been on Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) since 2023, when they signed a $39 million agreement to create a joint value chain for electric vehicles. The two neighbouring countries are planning to develop their cobalt reserves, a metal that is essential to the energy transition because of its high energy storage capacity.
Benoit-Ivan Wansi