The First High-Level Meeting of the Africa-EU Energy Partnership was held in Vienna, 14 – 15 September 2010.  The meeting attracted more than 300 participants, including more than 20 African and European Ministers, Deputy Ministers and Commissioners.  A considerable number of high-level representatives of ministries responsible for energy, Regional Economic Communities, Regional Power Pools and Specialized Institutions as well as international organisations, private sector, civil society and research institutions also attended the meeting.

Participants endorsed the Declaration of the First High-Level Meeting of the AEEP consisting of Political Targets which may be summarized as follows:

•    bring access to modern and sustainable energy services to at least an additional 100 million Africans, focusing on sustainable models for basic services (health, education, water, communication) and productive activities;
•    doubling the capacity of cross border electricity interconnections, both within Africa and between Africa and Europe, thus increasing trade in electricity while ensuring adequate levels of generation capacity;
•    doubling the use of natural gas in Africa, as well as doubling African gas exports to Europe, by building natural gas infrastructure, notably to bring flared gas to market;
•    building 10 000 MW of new hydropower facilities taking into consideration social and environmental standards;
•    building at least 5 000 MW of wind power capacity;
•    building 500 MW of all forms of solar energy capacity;
•    tripling the capacity of other renewables, such as geothermal, and modern biomass; and
•    improving energy efficiency in Africa in all sectors, starting with the electricity sector, in support of Africa's continental, regional and sectoral targets.

Ghana was represented at the First High-Level Meeting of the AEEP by a delegation of two, led by Hon Emmanuel Kofi-Buah, Deputy Minister of Energy.  The other member of the Ghana delegation was Prof Abeeku Brew-Hammond, Director of The Energy Center, KNUST  and Board Chairman for the Energy Commission.

For more information on the Africa-EU Energy Partnership please click here. 

To download the speech delivered by the Deputy Minster from Ghana please click here.