IRENA/ADFD project facility enters second phase of project selection

Mobilizing finance is one of the greatest challenges for scaling up renewable energy. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) received over 80 project summary applications from developing countries for concessional loans worth USD 50 million from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) during the 60-day period ending 12 January 2013. Following scoring and review by a Panel of Experts, established by the IRENA/ADFD Advisory Committee, and further general comments from the IRENA/ADFD Advisory Committee, short-listed applicants have been invited to submit Full Project Proposals from the beginning of April 2013.

The short-listed projects are from various regions, represent a diverse mix of renewable energy sources and technologies, address concerns about energy access, and offer innovative and potentially replicable solutions. The 19 project activities shortlisted to submit full project proposals are the following:


Country

Project activity

Cameroon

Solar PV project to supply power to off-grid rural communities

Cape Verde

Wind energy project: 100% renewable energy production, including storage, transmission and advanced grid management strategy for the Island of Sal

Côte d'Ivoire

Biomass power plant

Cuba

Biogas power production connected to national grid

Ecuador

Small hydro project for small community

Ethiopia

Dissemination of 500,000 improved efficient biomass stoves

Fiji

Hybrid solar PV diesel power plants with battery storage. New billing management system for off-grid solar home systems

Gambia

Solar PV mini grids with energy storage in rural areas

India

Biomass power from agricultural waste and desalination

Maldives

Small scale waste to energy project and desalinated water output

Mali

Hybrid Solar PV diesel mini-grids for rural villages

Mauritania

Wind energy projects for 4 coastal communities

Mauritius

Grid-connected wind energy project catering for around 30,000 households

Mozambique

Hydropower mini-grid rural electrification project

Rwanda

Grid-connected Solar PV project

Samoa

Biomass gasification and biodiesel production plants on two Islands

Sierra Leone

Grid-connected solar PV project in peri-urban area

Sudan

Wind energy project to support isolated grid

Tunisia

Solar CPV power plant for industrial use


The details of ADFD support for this first funding cycle are as follows:
  • Loans will range from USD 5 million to USD 15 million per project, and will cover up to 50 per cent of project cost;
  • Loan rates will vary between 2 per cent and 6 per cent per annum, with duration of 15 to 20 years, including a grace period of 3 to 5 years. The final terms and conditions of the loan will be set by ADFD;
  • For project proposals to be eligible they must come from developing countries that are either Members of IRENA, Signatories of the IRENA Statute, or States in Accession. They must also be on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) “DAC List of ODA Recipients”;
  • Non-governmental entities may submit project applications on the condition that the government will act as the guarantor of the ADFD loan;
  • Loans must be used for activities or assets directly related to the proposed project. The loans must not be used to fund any pre-development activities such as feasibility studies, environmental impact or socio-economic studies, etc. and
  • The ADFD will make the final selection from the projects endorsed by IRENA by December 2013.

Short-listed applicants will make Full Project Proposal submissions until the beginning of June 2013. The Panel of Experts will then score and review the Full Project Proposals from June to early August. The Advisory Committee will recommend and comment on the projects from August to early September. The ADFD will then make the final selection by the end of November 2013

Short-listed applicants can make their Full Project Proposal submissions using their existing username and password generated at the project summary phase.

For further clarifications on the early stages of the first funding cycle, please refer to FAQ. If you have further questions, contact the IRENA/ADFD Secretariat via email: adfd@irena.org.