1. CONTENTS AND UPDATES ON THE MALAWI RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGY
A Presentation Made at the 2017 Cleaner Cooking Camp at Soul Farm 6th to 7th June,2017.
By:
Thokozani Nelson Malunga.
Of:
The Department of Energy Affairs

2. PRESENTATION OUTLINE
Background to the Malawi Renewable Energy Strategy(MRES).
Why a National Renewable Energy Strategy?
Contents of MRES with regard to Cook stoves
Updates and Roadmap up to the Launch of MRES

4. The process of formulating MRES started in early with financial and technical assistance from UNDP and Scottish government respectively.
The MRES follows on from the development and publication of our new National Energy Policy (NEP-2017)
The document is also closely linked to Malawi’s involvement in the UN’s Sustainable Energy for All (SE4All) programme and the Government’s commitment to the UN Global Goals(particularly SDGs`goal 7.
Although the SE4All Action Agenda covers a broader spectrum of issues in relation to sustainability, the MRES will be able to act as a working document for delivery of the high level aims and objectives of the SE4All Action Agenda specifically in relation to renewable energy.

5. As well as taking note of the Government’s priorities in the NEP and the work of the SE4All programme the strategy draws upon a huge amount of recent and on- going research across the renewables sector in Malawi and further afield.
MRES will run up to 2030,with reviews done every five years from the Date of launching.

6. WHY A NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY STRATEGY(MRES)?

7. While the afore mentioned global and national development agenda and policies only set out or define goals, objectives and priorities, the Malawi Renewable Energy Strategy sets out practical actions for achieving those specific goals, objectives and priorities. The MRES thus serves the following purposes:
For the Government of Malawi, the MRES will be the document which is used to set the immediate agenda for action to promote renewables and improve the regulatory, fiscal and legal framework for the sector.
stakeholders may also use the MRES to look for where their resources and expertise could assist with the delivery of specific actions, noting that the document also identifies key actions which are not yet underway and which may still require technical assistance and funding.

8. CONTENTS OF MRES WITH REGARD TO COOK STOVES

9. MRES in its six chapters, talks about Renewable Electricity; Clean Energy Mini-Grids; Off-Grid Power; Sustainable Bioenergy (Cleaner/Efficient Cook stoves, Solid Biofuels, Biogas);Cross Cutting Issues (The Rural Electrification Fund and Renewable Energy Agency, District Energy Officers, Education and Information, Transparency and Statistics); and Coordination, Leadership and Next Steps.
On clean/efficient cookstove,the MRES is maiming the target of disseminating 2 million cleaner/efficient cook stoves, as is articulated in the Cook stoves Roadmap 2014.
Further, the MRES do not support or recognise stoves as sustainable/efficient/cleaner if they have a fuel efficiency of less than 20%.
The MRES has therefore outlined the following activities to help in achieving the 2020 Cleaner Cook stoves target:

10. Support and lead the National Cook stoves Steering Committee (NCSC) to work towards targets for 2020 and beyond.
An on going activity for Government,NCSC and other stakeholders
The support may take the form of additional funding, Policy and technical assistance.
Promotion and Awareness Raising
An on going activity involving the government NCSC and other stakeholders
Includes the annual cleaner cooking camps like the 2016’s and 2017 events
Further,NCSC and GoM are developing an ongoing promotional campaigning for cook stoves to ensure that the benefits of the cook stoves are communicated clearly and widely to the Malawians who stand to benefit the most, often those in rural and hard to reach areas

11. Capacity Building
MRES wants GoM ,NGOs and Donors to be including elements of training and capacity building in their programmes and projects on cleaner cook stoves.
Through these trainings and capacity building, local producers should be taught on how to make stoves which can be sold to the surrounding area, creating economic activity and the chance to benefit from stove technologies simultaneously.
Fiscal Incentives
MRES has taken note that NCSC and other stakeholders have long campaigned for the removal of VAT and other charges such as import duty on sustainable stove components.
MRES therefore ,advocates for a study led by the NCSC to look into the impact of VAT removal on consumers and the uptake of cook stoves, as well as the wider benefits and losses to Malawi in the short, medium and long term.
DIFID has undertaken this noble task, and has procured a consultant who will start the study soon.

12. Efficiency Standards
The NCSC already have a fuel efficiency standard for measuring what passes as a sustainable cook stove in Malawi.
In 2017 this standard, along with any other relevant standards regarding the design and production of stoves, should be benchmarked and formalised in order to create proper standards for the production and sale of cook stoves in the country.
When the NCSC has developed a robust standard the group should work with wider GoM officials, MERA and MBS to implement an official certification standard for cook stoves in the country by 2018.

13. UPDATES AND ROADMAP UP TO THE LAUNCH OF MRES

14. MRES Finalisation and Approval Process:
MRES was approved early this year,2017.
Its launch will take place along side with that of the National Energy Policy and SE4ALL Action Agenda.
How MRES will be executed?
Malawi Government has formed what is called Malawi Renewable Energy Partnership Grouping(MREPG).
Membership of the MREPG will consist of a range of stakeholders from across the nation: Government, agencies, industry, donors, NGOs and civic society
The group to be co-chaired and managed by the Department of Energy Affairs along with a key stakeholder from the renewables sector.

15. Roles:
On the overall, the MREPG will oversee the delivery of actions outlined by MRES,particularly:
MREPG will meet quarterly and measure progress against the actions as well as determining what the next steps are to be able to fully implement the actions or where new actions need to be identified.
The MREGP will be the body responsible for periodic re-drafting of the MRES as and when required
MREPG will coordinate work and resources more strategically as well as sharing ideas and results.
Other already established groups such as the National Cook stoves Steering Committee and the emerging DFID Energy Africa group of donors should also feed into this group and provide updates on progress in their respective areas.
NB: The first MREGP group meeting is expected to take place in min June,2017.

17. Thank you for your attention!!!!!!