{"id":52929,"date":"2025-02-11T00:02:46","date_gmt":"2025-02-11T00:02:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/pan-african-research-center-launches-drive-for-renewable-energy-through\/"},"modified":"2025-02-11T00:02:37","modified_gmt":"2025-02-11T00:02:37","slug":"pan-african-research-center-launches-drive-for-renewable-energy-through","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/pan-african-research-center-launches-drive-for-renewable-energy-through\/","title":{"rendered":"Pan-African research center launches drive for renewable energy through circular innovation"},"content":{"rendered":"

The launch took place on February 10, 2025, simultaneously across six sub-Saharan African countries, including Rwanda. The others are Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Sierra Leone and Namibia.<\/p>\n

This groundbreaking initiative, backed by \u00a33.5 million in funding from the UK Government\u2019s Ayrton Fund, aims to address Africa\u2019s energy challenges through circular economy principles. Priority will be put on knowledge transfer, skills development, and policy integration to ensure lasting impact.<\/p>\n

CEPREC will drive renewable energy innovation by repurposing electronic waste and developing circular microgrids. The initiative brings together academia, government, and industry to pioneer sustainable energy solutions tailored to Africa\u2019s unique challenges.<\/p>\n

Professor Muyiwa Oyinlola, Director of CEPREC and Professor of Innovation for Sustainable Development at De Montfort University, explained the project\u2019s transformative vision.<\/p>\n

\u201cCEPREC was set up to change the way we think about waste. Turning it into opportunity, empowering communities, and driving economic transformation. This initiative will set a new benchmark for sustainable energy solutions across Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Africa faces a stark energy gap, with access rates varying widely across the continent. South Africa enjoys an 85% electricity access rate, while rural areas in Sierra Leone struggle with just 5%.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, economies differ significantly, from Nigeria\u2019s $477 billion GDP to Sierra Leone\u2019s $4 billion economy. These disparities highlight the urgent need for localized, scalable energy solutions, a challenge CEPREC is uniquely positioned to address.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen technology is implemented without local capacity to maintain and expand it, sustainability is compromised. By integrating circular economy principles into Africa\u2019s energy sector, we are creating a resilient and sustainable future,\u201d said Professor Layi Alatise, Deputy Director (Engineering) of CEPREC. <\/p>\n

In Rwanda, CEPREC is expected to play a crucial role in advancing the country\u2019s green energy ambitions. Dr. Barry Rawn, Head of CEPREC in Rwanda, highlighted the significance of the initiative.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe future of energy in Africa lies in local innovation and resource efficiency. By repurposing lithium-ion batteries and solar e-waste, CEPREC is proving that sustainable, low-carbon solutions can be both economically viable and socially impactful,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

CEPREC is also working closely with Chatham House to ensure its research translates into actionable policy. Dr. Patrick Schroeder, Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House and CEPREC\u2019s policy lead, emphasized the importance of international collaboration.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe transition to a circular economy is not just an environmental imperative; it requires a comprehensive international policy framework that fosters innovation, collaboration, and sustainable practices across all sectors.\u201d<\/p>\n

The launch marks the beginning of an ambitious long-term vision. CEPREC\u2019s approach aligns with key UN Sustainable Development Goals, including SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).<\/p>\n

\"CEPREC<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Pan-African Research Centre for Circular Economy Powered Renewable Energy (CEPREC) has officially launched, marking a major step in Africa\u2019s transition to sustainable energy solutions.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000081465,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[14],"tags":[75],"byline":[3135],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52929","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-environment","tag-homenews","byline-sam-k-nkurunziza-2"],"bylines":[{"id":3135,"name":"Sam K Nkurunziza","slug":"sam-k-nkurunziza-2","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":3135,"name":"Sam K Nkurunziza","slug":"sam-k-nkurunziza-2","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000081465,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-267.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-267.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-267.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-267.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-267.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/profile-267.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52929","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52929"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52929\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000081465"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52929"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52929"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52929"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=52929"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=52929"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}