RenewableS 2013 GlObal STaTUS RePORT - REN21

05 RURAL RENEWABLE ENERGY
mixed. While several other countries—including Mongolia,
Nepal, and Vietnam—have made measurable progress,
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar, and Pakistan continue to
experience very low rates of rural electrification and still rely
largely on traditional biomass for cooking and heating. 56
through Public-Private Partnerships,” co-financed by the
Rwandan national government and the European Union,
involves electrifying rural areas primarily through hydro- and
geothermal power. 49 The aim is to increase the share of
Rwandans with electricity access from 6% in 2009 to 50% by
2017. 50 Under this programme, Spanish-based Isofoton made
the winning bid in 2010 for a project to supply, install, and
maintain solar PV systems at 300 schools across the country. 51
Tanzania saw construction of several grid-connected
small-scale renewable power plants during 2012, as a consequence
of the newly established Small Power Producer
(SPP) Framework; at year’s end, the country had a pipeline
of 60 projects totaling more than 130 MW, enough to bring
power to more than 12 villages. 52 Also in 2012, Zimbabwe
earmarked USD 1.5 million for solar lanterns to be distributed
in rural schools across the country, while the country’s Rural
Electrification Authority (REA) worked with local industries to
develop solar lamps and create solar power jobs. 53
In Uganda, the World Bank concluded the Uganda Accelerated
Rural Electrification Plan (UAREP) and was awaiting government
approval at year’s end. By the end of 2012, the government
along with donor bodies had installed several mini-grids
and thousands of isolated systems, including systems powered
by hydropower, biomass, geothermal, solar, and wind. In addition,
a collective fund that combines different types of financing
was created in 2012 to accelerate grid extension in Uganda. 54
■■Asia: Regional Status
Both China and India have made major national investments in
renewable energy in recent years, and they have seen significant
progress in extending energy access through decentralised
solutions. 55 Elsewhere in the region, progress has been
Although China and India are neighbours and are the two
largest emerging economies in the world, their energy access
situations are strikingly different. With more than 1.3 billion
people, China has made extraordinary investments to meet
its growing energy needs. The result has been significant
increases in access to grid-connected electricity, although an
estimated 4 million Chinese in rural areas still lack access to
modern energy sources. 57 India, in contrast, has a long way to
go: more than 290 million people (25% of the population) lack
access to electricity, and 66% of Indians continue to rely on
traditional biomass as their primary source of energy despite
the progress made in recent years. 58
India announced in mid-2012 a goal to achieve universal access
to electricity by 2017. Under the “Remote Village Electrification
Programme,” renewable energy systems were provided to 905
villages/hamlets over the 10 months leading to February 2012,
far more than the targeted 500 villages/hamlets. 59 At the state
level, Chhattisgarh initiated two schemes to replace the use of
kerosene lamps with solar PV systems. 60
In October 2012, China’s State Council officially released its
second energy policy-related white paper since 1991, which
reflected the increased importance of renewable energy in the
context of rural development. China is investing in technical
upgrades of the existing grid infrastructure in rural areas to
achieve 100% access to electricity by 2015. To address energy
supply shortfalls in rural areas and to advance the phaseout
of burning traditional wood fuels, old hydropower stations are
being refurbished and deployment of small-scale hydropower
and solar water heaters is being promoted. 61
Sri Lanka announced in 2012 that it had achieved its target
of providing electricity for all people in the Eastern Province
after the commissioning of six off-grid and nine grid-extension
projects in Kantale, Padhaviya-Sripura, and Seruwila. The
aim is to bring reliable electricity services to un-electrified or
under-electrified remote areas of the country that are covered
by the National Power Corporation’s (Napocor) Small Power
Utilities Group. 62
Although the focus in Asia is primarily on increasing access to
electricity, there are a number of programmes and projects to
address the heavy reliance on traditional biomass for cooking
throughout the region, by providing access to clean cookstoves
and alternative fuels, particularly biogas. In 2012, India
launched its “National Cookstove Programme,” which aims to
avoid 17% of the premature deaths and disabilities associated
with traditional biomass emissions that would otherwise occur
by 2020. 63 In Bangladesh, a World Bank-financed programme
will support NGO efforts to provide rural households with
clean cooking solutions through the dissemination of 1 million
cookstoves and 20,000 biogas units. 64
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