SECO in the recent years made a strategic shift to end direct infrastructure financing except for innovative pilot projects, and to focus on technical assistance and institutional and capacity development to make best use of its grant funding modality. The additional the massive drop of variable RE (VRE) generation costs and the focus on VRE integration as key for energy transition have led SECO to refocus its support and start the development of new bilateral projects on smart grid and smart metering. SECO mandated the Consortium of Skat Consulting Ltd. and Energynautics GmbH for professional support for this shift.
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Country:
Mainly in SECO focus countries; Ghana, Tunisia, Tajikistan, Albania, Mali, Brazil etc.
Project Period:
09.2022 to 12.2027
Services Provided:
Strategic advisory services, project pipeline development, assessment of investment programs under CIF REI (Climate Investment Fund Renewable Energy Integration), implementation consultancy for projects
Name of Client(s)
State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO
Name of Partner Organisation(s) :
Energynautics GmbH
Name of Staff involved and functions performed:
Hedi Feibel as mandate leader, Thomas Ackermann as team leader Ghana NMPV, pool of international and local experts for various topics
Description of the Project:
Objective: Provision of support on sustainable energy systems in general and VRE integration and smart grid in particular.
Services provided by Skat: technical support in the design process of the detailed engineering as well as preparation of tender docs for the planned hydroelectric power plant to be implemented under the project.
Activities: a) Strategic technical advisory services in the fields of VRE Integration and smart grid, and support to the preparation of public and internal outreach events, b) conceptualisation project scoping and review of new interventions in the fields of VRE and smart grids (e.g. Tunisia: Smart Grid project, Albania: dam safety sector needs and opportunities, Tajikistan: project ideas in energy sector), c) appraisal of selected investment plans and project proposals in the framework of SECO’s support to the CIF REI Program (e.g. Mali and Brazil), d) project specific support, including i) implementation consultancy support for the Ghana Solar PV based Net Metering (NMPV) project, ii) implementation consultancy support for the Tunisia Smart Grid Development Project, iii) Feasibility assessments or implementation consultancy support for other projects (to be defined).
Results: Various assessment and scoping study reports; improved project implementations through consultancy support, improved competence within SECO through continuous exchanges, strengthened network of SECO in relevant topics through outreach events.