Seminar on Geothermal Energy in Mexico for East African Region Representatives, 10 - 15 April 2011

Geothermal Energy Technical Experts from the nine countries of the East African Rift System (EARS) (Burundi, Comoros Islands, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia), visited Mexico from 10th to 15th  April 2011.

This Study Tour was part of the UNIDO intra-regional renewable energy cooperation initiative for industrial and productive uses, launched in the geothermal area. Activities started with a Seminar held in Vienna on 7th April and followed in Trieste with the UNIDO ICS on 8th April before the African participants reached Mexico and started a one week work in Cuernavaca, Morelia and México City.

From 11th to 15th April 2011, African Experts participated in a “Seminar on Geothermal Energy in Mexico for East African Rift Valley Region Representatives” and a field visit, organized and supported in Mexico by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization UNIDO; the Ministry of Energy (SENER); the Electricity Research Institute (IIE); the Electricity Federal Commission (CFE), and the and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (SRE).

The Seminar was held at the IIE’s facilities in Cuernavaca, México. It was followed by a field trip coordinated in cooperation and by personnel from the CFE’s “Gerencia de Proyectos Geotermoléctricos” to Los Azufres geothermal field which took place on 14 April.

The main objectives of the activities and discussions held during this week were:
-    To share Mexico’s experience on geothermal energy development and use;
-    To share African’s experience of the participant countries about the current situation on the geothermal areas: interests and needs on this field;
-    To start up the general basis of a Mexico-UNIDO-East Africa Trilateral Cooperation Program on the Geothermal Area for Productive Uses.

The African countries representatives shared their experiences in the development of geothermal energy, the activities in the different countries, their challenges and their future plans.

On 15th April 2011, a wrap-up meeting took place at SENER´s facilities, with the aim of discussing the outcomes of the Study Tour and to set an action plan for future activities.

Dr. Aldo Flores, SENER’s Director General of International Affairs, after kindly welcoming the African experts, UNIDO representatives and participants from different countries and interested entities, on behalf of the Mexican Government, indicated that collaboration in the field of geothermal energy is a welcome beginning, and that trilateral co-operation between East African countries, UNIDO, and IIE can prove to be a very useful mechanism. UNIDO was congratulated for their important support to develop this successful collaborative activity. 

Dr. Alfonso García, Technical Expert responsible for the Study Tour in Mexico, presented an executive summary of the activities developed during the seminar, with the intention of promoting an exchange of the all participants in this meeting.  It was mentioned that this is the first time that a delegation of geothermal energy experts from Africa had come to the IIE to have direct and substantive discussions for further development in a specific and promising area for economic intra-regional development among the involved countries.  
UNIDO’s Chief of Latin America and the Caribbean Programme, Dr. Víctor Hinojosa-Barragán, expressed recognition to Mexican Government and the involved institutions in particular the IIE for the efforts made to successfully accomplish collaboration achieved during this UNIDO’s intra-regional initiative. UNIDO has been actively promoting south-south cooperation programme with African countries.

The African Delegation thanked the Government of Mexico and in particular the Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the CFE, the IIE as well as UNIDO for the organization of this successful intra-regional programme. It was agreed that an action plan would include:

1. Human Resources Development Programme  
2. Policy and Legal Framework (regulatory) support
3. Technical Assistance on particular country needs
4. Clean energy access

It was also agreed that the geothermal energy has a relevant role in opening innovative productive opportunities e.g. in rural areas particularly for productive activities. In this regard, the experts presented and defined the areas and priorities  in their countries (See attached activities). To this end the Delegation asked UNIDO and the Mexican Government to exert every effort in their capacity to expedite the set up of a triangular cooperation programme in the geothermal area.

In line with Addis Ababa Declaration (2009) by Ministers in charge of Energy on Geothermal Development and regarding the identification of support and resources, funding technical cooperation activities in this area, it was agreed that initial discussions on a forthcoming proposal to be submitted to the EU (for possible funding support) took place among the African delegation participants and UNIDO ICS-Trieste for a particular regional technical assistance programme.

Regarding the triangular cooperation between Mexico, African countries and UNIDO, other funding options would be timely identified. It is expected that this cooperation would complement activities and would be done with the referred UNIDO-ICS-African programme.

The African Delegation thanked all actors involved who made possible to carry out this visit to Mexico and also for the very fruitful technical discussions and interesting field visit. After the interactive discussions held that week on geothermal issues and taking into consideration the huge potential for cooperation in particular areas/countries, the African Delegations invited the Mexican authorities and UNIDO to work together as partners to identify the resources, to build up this triangular cooperation in this promising economic area with the African countries.