WISIONS at Deep Dive Workshop on 17 June 2019 in Manila

WISIONS will be organizing the the Deep Dive Workshop on 17 June 2019 at the ASIA CLEAN ENERGY Forum in Manila in collaboration with our partner HPNET. The workshop will be on the topic “Hydro Mini-Grids in the Asia-Pacific: Scaling Inclusive Enterprise-Based Approaches”. Meet us there from 2:00-5:30 p.m. in the Multifunction Hall 1.

Background:

Renewable energy mini-grids are a cost effective and time efficient solution for energy access. Within the technologies available for mini-grids, micro and mini hydropower (MHP) has added advantages. Where resources exist, small-scale hydropower produces the lowest cost energy. Its techno-economic characteristics (e.g. lower levelized cost of energy, per kilowatt investment cost, and no need for energy storage) allow for economic viability with high social impact, including affordable tariffs, extensive productive end use, and viable grid interconnection. Because its hardware can be manufactured locally and maintained by local actors, MHP development imparts local skills, jobs and enterprise development. It also strengthens catchment areas and watershed protection, which in turn increases climate resilience and integrated development of rural communities.

In recent years, there has been a transition to innovative ownership, management and financing models for mini-grid development – where the income generated has been sufficient to ensure the financial viability and sustainable operations of small-scale hydro projects. The success has been achieved by a variety of enterprise-based models most appropriate for the local context, including among others, cooperatives and community-private partnerships. These approaches show evidence of improved bankability of MHP systems, with greater social and gender inclusion at the same time. The session discusses prospects for scaling, replicating and financing such proven enterprise-based approaches to small-scale hydropower in the Asia-Pacific region.

 

Objective:

This DDW will provide development partners and professionals (both experts and generalists) the opportunity to understand recent innovative approaches to sustainable small-scale hydropower, in terms of economic viability and social impact. The session will feature key experts who have enabled enterprise- based hydro mini-grids in the Asia-Pacific region, drawn from a cross-section of government, private sector, NGOs, civil society and financiers.

The objectives of this DDW are to:

  • Provide an overview of the types of ownership, management, financing, and integrated development models for enterprise-based hydro mini-grids, with examples from several countries in the region.
  • Identify opportunities for scaling enterprise-based hydro mini-grids, both in terms of transitioning grant-dependent models to credit-financed enterprise models and also establishing new projects with enterprise-based approaches.
  • Discuss solutions to overcome barriers to scalability of high social impact, enterprise-based small- scale hydropower, including building local institutional capacity and access to local and development financing.
  • Explore the role of development partners and other stakeholders in strengthening knowledge services that enable partnerships to scale enterprise-based hydro mini-grids.

Find out more about the Workshop here:  Deep Dive Workshop

More information about the conference: Asia Clean Energy Forum

More information about  HPNET

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