TDB Group and ALSF Hold 2nd Public Sector Lawyers Training on Power Purchase Agreements And Legal Framework For Energy Infrastructure.
TDB GROUP AND ALSF HOLD 2ND PUBLIC SECTOR LAWYERS TRAINING ON POWER PURCHASE AGREEMENTS AND LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE.
Media Contacts:
Anne-Marie Iskandar
Senior Communications Officer
Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations
Trade and Development Bank
Anne-Marie.Iskandar@tdbgroup.org
Eve Ehoura
Communications Officer
African Legal Support Facility
e.ehoura@afdb.org
Nairobi, 26th September 2023 – The Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank Group (TDB Group) and the African Legal Support Facility (ALSF), organized a five-day training on “Legal Aspects of Energy Transactions – Power Purchase Agreements and Legal Framework for Energy Infrastructure” from 18th – 22nd September 2023 in Nairobi, Kenya for 70 public sector lawyers from across 23 African countries.
Africa is dealing with an energy deficit marked by insufficient generation and distribution capacity, unreliable supply, high tariff rates and limited access to the power grid. Yet access to energy is essential for achieving development outcomes across critical sectors of the economy, such as health and education, as well as minimizing the cost of doing business and ultimately supporting economic growth.
“This training is pertinent for legal advisors to support their governments to effectively negotiate and execute energy infrastructure projects that can bridge the energy gap, which is a priority for Africa. As TDB Group, we are keen to understand and meet the need of our member states to leverage capabilities and knowledge that advance trade and sustainable development for the region,” said David Bamlango, Deputy Group MD and General Counsel of TDB Group.
The training covered vital learning concepts in the context of energy, such as legal framework and procurement, power purchase agreements, risk allocation, environmental and social considerations and other project related issues. On the last day of the workshop, participants underwent soft-skills training to drive efficiency.
“There are significant pockets of funding available from development finance institutions for clean energy projects and it is often said that the amount of readily available funding does not meet enough quality projects. It is important that the fundamentals of such projects are well understood by lawyers, so that properly structured documents and bankable projects can receive the level of funding required to gradually close the energy infrastructure gap on the continent.” Olivier Pognon, Director & CEO of the ALSF.
The training is the second in the capacity building for public sector lawyers programme series jointly organized by TDB Group and the ALSF with the financial support of the World Bank Group and Agence Française de Développement (AFD). The capacity building programme aims to enhance the capacity and effectiveness of public sector lawyers, enabling them to provide effective representation and counsel to their governments, especially in negotiating and documenting complex cross-border transactions.
About TDB Group
Established in 1985, the Eastern and Southern African Trade and Development Bank (TDB) is a regional development finance institution with investment-grade ratings and assets totaling USD 8.4 billion. TDB serves 25 economies in its region, with the mandate to finance and foster trade, regional economic integration, and sustainable development.
TDB is part of TDB Group, which also comprises the Trade and Development Fund (TDF), Eastern and Southern African Trade Advisers Limited (ESATAL), and TDB Captive Insurance Company (TCI) and TDB Academy.
About ALSF
Hosted by the African Development Bank since 2008, the ALSF assists African governments in negotiating complex commercial transactions, providing legal and technical assistance, and developing capacity building tools in the key sectors of infrastructure and public-private partnerships, energy, natural resources, extractive industries and sovereign finance.
