28 April 2015: The African Development Bank (AfDB) has released the 2014 edition of its ‘Development Effectiveness Review on Energy’ (DER). The report, which was produced by AfDB’s Quality Assurance and Results and Energy, Environment and Climate Change Departments, focuses on AfDB’s energy operations and its contribution to building sustainable energy infrastructure on the African continent from 2009-2013.

The DER reviews AfDB’s commitment to energy access and developing the continent’s vast renewable energy resources, highlighting that the Bank has committed over US$13 billion over 20 years to Africa’s energy sector. According to Simon Mizrahi, Director of the Quality Assurance and Results Department, the DER “shows that with over half of the world’s renewable energy sources, Africa has significant potential to leapfrog older technologies and become a global leader on clean energy.”

The Review reports that the Bank’s efforts at harnessing this clean energy since 2009 have concentrated on building national generation capacity (over 1,900 megawatts (MW)) and distribution networks (more than 15,000 kilometers of transmission lines), with an emphasis on rural electrification. Tallying the numbers, the report finds that these projects have resulted in improved access to electricity for 14 million people and new electricity connections for 567,000 people. AfDB expects to double these numbers by 2018.

The DER presents evidence of this contribution by first reviewing Africa’s overall progress in the energy sector, then considering the Bank’s contribution, including how its energy policy has evolved, and, lastly, analyzing the Bank’s efficacy in managing its energy portfolio and efficiency in supporting its energy operations.

The energy-themed report of the DER is part of a series of publications that review AfDB’s contribution to development in Africa. It was first launched in 2011 and serves as an ongoing discussion about improving the Bank’s effectiveness. [AfDB Press Release] [Publication: Development Effectiveness Review 2014: Energy]