Project consortiumEuropean consortium members The Partners for Africa consortium comprises 6 organisations active in the renewable energy and international development fields. Three of these are of European, and 3 of African origin. The 3 European members of the consortium are:
- WIP-ETA Consortium (Germany/Italy)
- ITDG (UK)
- SEI (Sweden)
These players lend particular strength to this proposal through their experience in the coordination of the global energy and development networks: LAMNET, CARENSA and Sparknet. These networks deal with local, national and international energy and development issues. These interdisciplinary networks support international dialogue and action fora, bringing together key actors and stakeholders from the energy, biomass and development sectors.
The consortium partners therefore have significant experience relevant to the development of Partnerships, and have a wide pool of resources, expertise, knowledge and contacts to draw on.
Co-ordinator : WIP-ETA Consortium   WIP has been active in the clean energy and environment sectors for over two decades and ETA for more than one decade, providing a range of expert technical and non-technical services to both industrial and public sector clients at the international level. Both have a long record of performing outstanding activities for, and in close co-operation with, the European Commission, namely: - Analytical research work following an interdisciplinary approach by tackling energy issues in their economic, legal and social framework conditions
- High-level event management for European conferences, work-shops, fora and campaigns
- Renewable energy system and rational use of energy projects in EU countries with a particular emphasis on Eastern European countries
One project accomplished recently, which is of close relevance to the proposed subject, is a Renewable Energy Integration Tool Promoting the Role of Renewable Energy amongst Governments in Africa (supported by the EC within the Synergy Programme. Developed in collaboration with the Organisation of the African Unity-now the African Union).
 WIP is the coordinator and ETA is the coordination partner of LAMNET - the Latin American Network on Bioenergy (www.bioenergy-lamnet.org). LAMNET, a global network on bioenergy, constitutes a trans-national forum for the promotion of the sustainable use of bioenergy. The activities of LAMNET include the analysis of existing energy policy frameworks, the assessment of energy demand and biomass resources, the analysis of available bioenergy technologies and systems as well as the development and implementation of policy options.
LAMNET focuses on the promotion of small- and medium-scale decentralised bioenergy systems and the large-scale implementation of bioethanol production and generation of heat and electricity based on sugar cane and other suitable biomass resources.
LAMNET brings together 49 institutions and companies located in 23 countries within Europe, Latin America, Africa and Asia.
Consortium partner: ITDG  ITDG was founded in 1966 by Dr EF Schumacher, author of Small is Beautiful. It is now an international group of development organizations with charitable status. ITDG's head office is in the UK at the Schumacher Centre for Technology and Development, Bourton Hall, Warwickshire, with regional and country offices in the three continents of Africa, Asia and South America. The group's annual turnover is over Euro 17 million, and it employs almost 300 staff around the world. ITDG's mission is: 'To build the technical skills of poor people in developing countries, enabling them to improve the quality of their lives and that of future generations.' ITDG operates at a community level, helping people to build on their existing knowledge and skills, and to improve their technical capacity in ways that are appropriate, affordable and sustainable. ITDG is engaged in a range of activities which includes technology development, the pilot testing and commercialisation of technologies, technical assistance to other NGOs and community organizations, training, policy research and advocacy. ITDG also maintains a programme of work in policy research and analysis, including gender and technology, and is developing new areas in the fields of information and communications technology, the environment and small scale producers, and urbanisation.
 ITDG is the coordinator of Sparknet (www.sparknet.info). SPARKNET is a multi-stakeholder interactive Knowledge Network focusing on how people, in the context of acute poverty, can gain access to better energy services and improve their livelihoods.
The network makes available unique resources for policy makers, companies, and civil society on energy poverty in Southern and East Africa through the sparknet.info website. Online resources are made available on the relationships between Health, Gender and Forestry and Energy, including detailed country reports, scenario analyses, and policy assessments. Online meetings and conferences will be held at regular intervals.
Through a network of associates in Africa and Europe, SPARKNET brings together 70 organisations and 115 people from research institutes, NGOs, Governments and private companies.
Consortium partner : SEI  The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) and its predecessor (Beijer Institute) have been engaged in work on energy, environment and development for a quarter of a century. The mission of the SEI is to support decision-making and induce change towards sustainable development around the world by providing integrative knowledge that bridges science and policy.
The Institute derives its mission and name from the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm. In addition to the Stockholm headquarters, the SEI works through several centres and a network of international partner organisations around the world. The SEI seeks to build institutions for sustainable development on local, regional, national, and global scales through analysis and evaluation, pilot projects, capacity building, participatory methods, scenario and modelling tools, and outreach.
The Energy and Climate Programme of the SEI has a special focus on rural and renewable energy, and the linkages to poverty alleviation and sustainable development. The Programme has historically placed special emphasis on the least developed countries, particularly those in sub-Saharan Africa, where it has carried out over seventy projects and has a network of partners spanning fifteen countries. A complementary area of work, in collaboration with SEI's Risk and Vulnerability Programme, is on the threats posed by climate change and the evolution of mitigation and adaptation strategies that support the interests of the developing world. Current and recent projects in sub-Saharan Africa include a study of long-term sustainability of charcoal utilisation in three African countries, a vulnerability assessment in western Africa, a PV-enterprise development project in Zambia, and leadership of the Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa (CARENSA).
 SEI is the coordinator of CARENSA - Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa (www.carensa.net). CARENSA, the Cane Resources Network for Southern Africa illustrates the role of bio-energy from sugarcane in promoting sustainable development and improving global competitiveness in the region of southern Africa. CARENSA aims at a comprehensive analysis of cane resources in the southern Africa region, including technical, socio-economic, environmental, organisational and institutional dimensions.
The network promotes north-south and south-south cooperation and facilitates improved policy co-ordination between researchers, policy-makers, and industry representatives.
CARENSA brings together four European partners, four African partners, three international organisations, and two groups based in the world's two largest cane-producing countries (Brazil and India).
African consortium members The African consortium members are experienced and have an established reputation in the fields of renewable energy and development. They are : - Illovo Sugar, South Africa
- ENDA (Environment and Development Action in the Third World), Senegal
- CEEEZ - Centre For Energy, Environment and Engineering, Zambia
Illovo Sugar Ltd.  Illovo Sugar is a leading, global, low cost sugar producer and a significant manufacturer of high-value downstream products. The company has actively displayed a strong interest in renewable energy systems and in increasing the energy yields from solid biomass waste through technology and legislation. Illovo is also looking to biofuel production as a possible additional field of activity. The group has extensive agricultural and manufacturing operations in six African countries and also operates a beet sugar manufacturing plant in the United States.
The group owns and manages agricultural estates in South Africa, Malawi, Swaziland, Zambia, Tanzania and Mozambique. Collectively they produce approximately 5,4 million tons of cane, which is cultivated predominately under irrigation from secure water supplies and also benefits from above average growing conditions due to their geographical location. Independent international surveys show cane production costs from these operations to be amongst the lowest in the world.
Illovo runs a highly developed company health care scheme for all employees. This is partly provided through a network of group-run primary health care clinics and hospitals. The group continues to take a pro-active stance against life-threatening epidemics such as HIV/AIDS and malaria. The diseases are being actively managed, largely on a preventative basis, to negate their impact on the business and the employees themselves.
Illovo is also current planning a project on financing schemes for poverty eradication measures in Southern African countries.
ENDA-TM - Environment and Development Action in the Third World  ENDA-TM is an international non-profit organisation based in Dakar, Senegal working on development and environment issues. Founded in 1972, ENDA is an association of autonomous entities co-ordinated by an Executive Secretariat. ENDA's worldwide representation includes twenty-four teams at the Dakar headquarters, twenty-one poles in Southern countries (14 in Africa, 5 in South America and 2 in Asia), and a European delegation.
ENDA collaborates with grassroots groups in search of alternative development models on the basis of the experience, expectations and objectives of marginalized peoples. This mutual commitment translates as: - Presence at all levels of decision-making and action
- Development of replicable models of progress, uniting action, research, training and communication
- Involving intellectuals and professionals in defining and implementing development models for the majority and the least privileged
- Fighting poverty
- Involvement in international debates to render third world positions visible and influential
ENDA's support of grassroots groups also involves: - collaboration with numerous institutions and administrations across the third world;
- employing voluntary workers of Southern origin and from certain industrialised countries;
- facilities bestowed by third world states, particularly Senegal;
- external support: the United Nations, Switzerland, Austria, Luxemburg, the Netherlands and a number of NGO's together ensure ENDA's independence; France, Belgium, Canada, the European Union (whose contribution is increasing), Finland, Italy and Sweden have all contributed, or are contributing, their support.
CEEEZ - Centre For Energy, Environment and Engineering Zambia Ltd.  CEEEZ is an independent and non-profit NGO, formed in 1993. Its main activities involve collaborating with Government and various institutions in the country and overseas in the fields of energy, environment and engineering. The specific role of CEEEZ is to investigate, analyse and make useful conclusions and policy recommendations on energy, environment and engineering concerns. In addition, CEEEZ carries out studies, research and development, consultancy and training in the areas of energy, environment and engineering. GHG Inventory and Climate Change Mitigation studies for Zambia have also been conducted by CEEEZ.
Organisations providing supporting services to the consortium ECO  Eco Ltd is a private UK consultant firm uniting sustainable energy, knowledge management and information technology. The focus of its work is in networking, capacity building, project, market and business identification development and project financing in developing countries and in Central and Eastern Europe. Eco aims to empower local communities and organizations and strives for the alleviation of poverty in all its forms. Eco is co-ordinator of the HEDON Household Energy Network, a network of over 320 organisations worldwide, working on sustainable energy in the context of acute poverty. Eco provides knowledge networking expertise to the FP5 INCO-DEV project SPARKNET, and is to provide networking services to the Shell Foundation Household Energy and Health programmes in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
Key skills are summarised below: - Over 10 years experience of staff members in Household Energy, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy Technology, and Energy Policy - covering such topics as improved stoves, solar energy, wind energy and mini-hydro, feasibility assessments, climate change, joint implementation, the clean development mechanism, innovative financing and voluntary agreements.
- Communication and Internet resources, information technology and networking are central to the company's strategic activities. Eco provides an Internet presence and computing services to 5 international groups including the household energy network HEDON.
- Diverse country in The Netherlands, England, United States, Syria, Ghana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Benin, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Hungary and Belarus.
ECO Ltd supports the consortium in its information networking services (e.g. internet platform), on a sub-contractor basis.
EUBIA  EUBIA, the European Biomass Industry Association, was registered in 1996 as an international non-profit association in Brussels. EUBIA's members are mainly from Europe and include research and promotion centres, utilities, oil companies and biomass-related companies. The association has started significant international cooperation activities with third countries.
EUBIA promotes bioenergy activities on small, medium and large scales, in collaboration with local authorities, agricultural organisations, local partners and industries.
EUBIA strengthens European policies that have a direct or an indirect impact on biomass, protecting industrial interests, identifying new opportunities, promoting job creation and better environmental conditions.
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