A “sustainable energy workshop” in Madagascar to attract investments and raise awareness of the Government’s ambitions and achievements in terms of access to energy

A major milestone has been reached towards achieving universal access to clean energy in Madagascar. Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) organized a one-day event in collaboration with the Government of Madagascar, under the leadership of the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons (MEH). The event presented the results of their joint work over the past years that aligns with the government’s goal of closing the energy access gap.  

The event mobilized stakeholders in the sustainable energy sector, including donors, representatives of relevant government agencies, the private sector and international organizations, for the official launch of Madagascar’s Integrated Energy Plan (IEP) . As part of its XX, the Malagasy Government is committed to closing the gaps in access to electricity and clean cooking and to establishing medical and agricultural cold chains to preserve medicines and food. The government, its development partners and the private sector need a common plan to close the gaps in energy access.

An Integrated Energy Planning tool for electrification, clean cooking and cold chains for agricultural and medical purposes is available.

To contribute to energy access planning in the country, the Government of Madagascar and SEforALL collaborated to develop the Integrated Energy Plan of Madagascar. Using advanced geospatial modeling techniques, the IEP analyzes three interconnected aspects of energy access: electrification, clean cooking, and cold chains for medical and agricultural purposes, to show where and how sustainable energy solutions can be deployed at the lowest cost.  

In-depth data and analysis for each component of the EIP are available through an online tool, ensuring that actionable geographic information can support implementation plans by the Government of Madagascar, development partners, and the private sector. This information helps users identify optimal energy solutions for different locations based on cost, accessibility, and other factors, clarify energy demands within different communities, and highlight opportunities to integrate electrification, clean cooking, and cold chain efforts that will drive progress in multiple areas, such as electric cooking. This platform is owned and managed by the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons with support from SEforALL.  

“This plan is a powerful tool to make strategic decisions in line with our energy and climate goals, particularly our efforts to expand access to clean energy solutions at the lowest cost for our population. The fruitful collaboration with SEforALL helps us to obtain the appropriate recommendations to achieve SDG 7, not only in terms of planning but also in terms of implementation, as demonstrated by the success of the Universal Energy Facility (UEF), which has helped the private sector and end users to access clean energy in communities where there was no electricity, ” said Honorable Olivier Jean-Baptiste, Minister of Energy and Hydrocarbons. “We are resolute in our commitment to continue working tirelessly to increase national energy coverage, offering hope for a better way of life for our citizens .”

The Universal Energy Access Fund (UEF) offers results-based subsidies to private rural electrification operators.

Since 2020, the Universal Energy Fund (UEF), an international multi-donor fund providing results-based grants managed by SEforALL, has signed over 30 grant agreements with 4 rural electrification operators, targeting 12,400 new electricity connections for households, businesses, schools and health centres powered by solar mini-grids. To date, 27 mini-grids have been installed, with over 5,600 new verified connections benefiting approximately 25,000 people. Over 3,000 additional potential connections have been identified and are awaiting funding. Thanks to these achievements, Madagascar has become a flagship country for the SEforALL-led UEF programme.

“Today, we can see first-hand the Malagasy government’s continued commitment to providing access to clean energy to the entire population. Our partners can count on the Integrated Energy Planning tool to strategically address urgent energy needs, as they can also see in the Universal Energy Access Fund, an effective mechanism to electrify off-grid communities while ensuring efficient use of funds through our results-based approach. All this translates into new opportunities, green jobs, electrified schools and health centers, income-generating activities and, ultimately, a better life for many people,” said Anita Otubu, SEforALL Head of Delegation and Director of the Universal Energy Fund.

Focus on the electrification of public establishments

More recently, SEforALL has strengthened its collaboration with the Government of Madagascar to undertake market analyses and initiate energy planning processes. This will provide the government, development partners, the private sector and key sustainable energy stakeholders with actionable data, market information and tools to accelerate energy access in Madagascar, particularly for public infrastructure.  

As part of this effort, SEforALL, together with the Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons and the Ministry of Public Health, published in March 2024 the “Market Studies and Roadmap for the Electrification of Health Facilities in Madagascar”, revealing that approximately 75% of basic health centers do not have access to electricity or are equipped with only one independent solar refrigerator. Approximately 2,300 health centers could be sustainably electrified by 2030, which would require a total investment of USD 83 million over the next ten years. The proposed roadmap adopts a primarily bottom-up approach, starting with health facilities and their willingness to improve their health services, including through sustainable electrification .

Additionally, as part of its broader “Electrification of Public Infrastructure” programme, SEforALL is studying the state of school electrification in Madagascar. Initial findings indicate that 96% of schools do not have reliable access to electricity, and only 5% of school canteens are equipped with clean cooking solutions. A detailed study and analysis will shed light on how to overcome challenges such as lack of data and coordination and limited funding, which hinder sustainable school electrification in the country.

Finally, SEforALL also conducted capacity-building workshops on geospatial tools and data management for Government of Madagascar staff and other stakeholders. It also supported government officials to participate in intensive external trainings to acquire relevant skills in energy access planning and regulatory frameworks.

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