The “Fonds des Energies Renouvelables pour la Résilience au Burkina Faso” (FERR-BF), a project that ends in December 2023, had an official closing ceremony on November 28. Held in a hybrid format, the session allowed the presentation of the results of the project, which was implemented over a period of 4 years.

The project was implemented as part of the CE4PR (Clean Energy for People Resilience) program funded to the tune of USD 3,593,244 by the Ministry of the Environment, Climate and Biodiversity of the Grand Duchy, to whom we thank. Our thanks also go to the institutions under the Ministry of Energy Transition, Mines and Quarries and the Ministry of Economy, Finance and Foresight for their involvement and support in the various activities carried out.

As a reminder, the FERR-BF, begun in 2019 to meet the prerogatives of the Burkinabe government in terms of energy supply in rural areas, was formalized in continuity with the actions of the Programme to Support the Economic and Climate Resilience of the Populations of Burkina Faso through Financial and Digital Innovations (PARI).

The FERR-BF aimed to “strengthen the economic resilience and adaptation to climate change of vulnerable populations (women, youth, smallholder farmers, small entrepreneurs, micro and small businesses, and refugees) in rural and peri-urban areas of Burkina Faso by promoting access to energy solutions designed for productive uses and income-generating activities.”

The solutions have been delivered by private sector energy service companies and accelerated by innovative business models and digital financing solutions.

At the end of this implementation, the results are quite convincing. 50,590 final beneficiaries were served by the project thanks to the technical and financial support we provided to the 16 partners. A total of 10,198 clean energy equipment was sold, for approximately 10,000 tons of CO2 avoided. The companies supported were able to employ close top a 1,000 people.

A total of 74 partners in the sector were supported, including those who received technical and financial support and those who benefited from incubation.

Also, as a result of the trust we have placed in these companies, some of them have managed to mobilise more resources, to the tune of 6 millions dollars. Although there have been significant advances, this project is not an end in itself, but a springboard to new challenges and new opportunities, as much remains to be done; the renewable energy ecosystem in Burkina Faso still needs a strengthening of governmental and financial institutions on energy issues, an improvement in corporate Research & Development, as well as an increase in financing in the sector.

It is now important for all the stakeholders to remain mobilised to continue contributing to the sustainable development of Burkina Faso.

For more, please read our case study and the programme factsheet