Green energy solutions for digital connectivity and services in underserved communities: Mozambique and Madagascar

Project Summary:

To increase digital adoption and inclusion, and to support selected foundations for accelerated digital transformation.

The grant will support two ongoing lending operations: Mozambique Digital Acceleration Project (MDAP, P176459) and Digital and Energy Connectivity for Inclusion in Madagascar (DECIM, P178701). MDAP aims to increase digital adoption and inclusion and to support accelerated digital transformation. DECIM aims to expand access to renewable energy and digital services. Both projects place a strong emphasis on climate change adaptation and mitigation. For digital infrastructure, this means ensuring (i) requirements for renewable energy solutions to power the digital infrastructure, and identification of opportunities for co-deployment of green energy solutions to power local communities simultaneously; (ii) compliance with ‘Green ICT Standards’ and infrastructure robustness requirements to reduce GHG emissions and increase resilience to climate shocks.

The grant will support the concrete implementation of these requirements in the context of Mozambique and Madagascar by facilitating the use of green energy solutions for digital connectivity and services. It will provide an assessment of technical solutions for the deployment of joint, climate smart energy and digital solutions and support the development of an enabling environment for the use of renewable energy to improve digital connectivity and inclusion. Grant activities will also deliver specifications for energy-efficient and climate-smart digital infrastructure that will be integrated into bid documents for the two projects, thereby supporting the transition towards investments in green digital infrastructure that helps reduce climate footprint.

List of Activities:

Activity 1: Good Practices on Green Energy Solutions for Digital

• Knowledge output for green energy solutions for digital connectivity and services in underserved communities, including an assessment of technical solutions (good practices) for implementing solar-based energy solutions for digital infrastructure; the development of conceptual designs and business models fit for context; and the development of a set of guidelines, standards, and specifications for energy-efficient and climate-smart digital infrastructure taking local conditions into account, designed for incorporation in policy and bid documents for digital connectivity infrastructure.

Activity 2: Green ICT Policy Development.

• Policy analysis outlining the current green digital policy frameworks in Mozambique and Madagascar, identifying gaps, and proposing actionable recommendations.

Activity 3: Technical Assistance and Capacity Building

• Including the planning and execution of a number of training sessions and workshops for relevant Mozambican and Malagasy government staff on how to promote the use of green energy solutions for digital connectivity and services in underserved communities. For Mozambique, relevant ministries, departments and agencies include the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC), Mozambique National Institute of Communications (INCM) and the Energy Regulatory Authority (ARENE), while for Madagascar, they include the Ministry of Digital Development, Digital Transformation, Post and Telecommunications (MNDPT), the Communication Technologies Regulatory Authority (ARTEC), and the Rural Electrification Development Agency (ADER). This will help build local technical capacity to maintain and expand green ICT solutions as well as capacity for the inclusion of climate considerations in digital infrastructure planning and deployment.

Outcomes:

• Improved energy efficiency of digital infrastructure financed under MDAP and DECIM.
• Increased understanding of needed considerations for the development of climate-informed policy in the ICT sector amongst Mozambican and Malagasy policymakers and relevant agencies.
• Increased capacity among Implementing Agencies in Mozambique and Madagascar to support the greening of ICT.
• Increased knowledge of good practices for green energy solutions for digital connectivity and services among Implementing Agencies for DECIM and MDAP.
• Increased knowledge sharing and strengthened partnerships between Mozambican, Malagasy, and Korean counterparts on green digital solutions for digital development.

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

The task team will work with a number of internal and external partners.

• Internally, the team will liaise with ESMAP to leverage their experience with regard to renewable energies.
• Externally, the team will liaise with the African Union and Smart Africa to advocate for policy harmonization and regional cooperation to promote the adoption of green energy solutions in digital services across the continent.
• The team will engage supporting Korean partners in the design of the analytical and capacity-building activities - namely the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).