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At the annual meeting of the Biochar Plus Project, held in Kumasi, Ghana from March 2 to 5, 2015, ECOWAS Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficient (ECREEE) was requested to lead the elaboration of an action plan framework for the promotion of biochar system in four African countries, namely Togo, Ghana, Ethiopia and Zimbabwe.
The logic behind the need to elaborate these action plans specifically on the biochar system is to build the right framework for the uptake of the biochar technology in the countries participating in the Biochar Plus Project and beyond. Pr. Alessandro of the University of Udine insisted that, “these action plans need to be holistic by addressing biochar technology in a systemic manner. We should not have fragmented actions or it will not work.” He continued on to say, “since ECREEE has lots of experience in drafting action plans with ECOWAS member states in Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, it is a chance for the Biochar Plus project to capitalize on this.”
Upon being briefed on this initiative, ECREEE, through its Executive Director Mr. Mahama Kappiah, responded favorably to the request from the Project. He then instructed, WACCA and the Bioenergy team at ECREEE “to put forth the necessary efforts to ensure these framework action plans are not only elaborated but that they are implemented for the benefits of local communities”. He was especially thrilled about the fact that countries such as Ethiopia and Zimbabwe will benefit from ECREEE’s experience. ECREEE traditionally focuses on creating favorable framework in the ECOWAS member states for the establishment of a vibrant market of renewable energy and energy efficiency. However, the past two years, ECREEE’s experience has been shared with Southern and Eastern regions of the continent. This is a testimony to the ECREEE’s success in achieving its mandate of promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency in the ECOWAS region and beyond.
ECREEE’s clean cooking initiative known as the West African Clean Cooking Alliance (WACCA), which participated in this landmark workshop at the Soil Research Institute in Kumasi, Ghana, will lead the efforts on the elaboration of the said action plans by building the capacity of project partners in the four aforementioned countries. For WACCA, it is important to see the biochar technology under all its facets especially in terms of cooking energy services such as gasifier stoves and modern cooking fuels.
For more information on the Biochar Plus project, please visit: www.acp-st.eu/content/biochar-plus-energy-health-agricultural-and-environmental-benefits-biochar-use-building-capa