Is Mali s distributed energy storage reliable

Is Mali ready to scale up renewables?

The Ministry, working through the Mali Renewable Energy Agency (AER-Mali), has initiated a partnership with the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) to assess Mali’s readiness to scale up renewables.

How many people in Mali have access to electricity?

In Mali, less than half of the population has access to electricity, whereas in rural areas access is limited to only 16.7% of the population. In terms of modern fuels, access is extremely low, at only 2% and 3% for rural and urban areas, respectively. Energy access is widely recognised as essential to improve economic welfare.

What should Mali do about renewable-based electricity?

Mali also should provide guidelines and standards to accommodate renewable-based electricity. Consultation with relevant stakeholders is crucial, since grid connection codes impact on all those involved in the power system.

Why is Mali reducing the share of renewables in the electricity mix?

In Mali, a decline is expected in the relative value of the share of renewables in the electricity mix due to an increase of electricity imports (generated from non-renewable sources) from the regional market (Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea and Nigeria).

What is the energy supply in Mali?

As in most sub-Saharan African countries, biomass (mainly in the form of firewood) provides the bulk of the energy supply (Figure 4). Mali has neither proven hydrocarbon resources nor a refinery; as a result, all petroleum products are imported through neighbouring coastal countries which impacts on the country’s balance of payments.

Is Mali a good place to invest in renewables?

These challenges mean that other opportunities in renewables should be sought, particularly the options of on-grid and of-grid solar PV. Indeed, Mali is endowed with a large spectrum of renewables, including sustainable biomass if adequately managed. The national forest estate is estimated at 100 million hectares.