SACREEE

The SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE) was established in the context of a consultative preparatory process, which included the execution of a needs assessment and the development of the project document on the technical and institutional design of the centre.

A closer regional cooperation on the development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency through coordination of renewable energy and energy efficiency based projects has been for many years a priority task for the SADC Member States.

This formed the basis for the SADC Ministers responsible for energy, at their 33rd and 34th meetings held in Maseru, Lesotho and in Johannesburg, South Africa in May 2013 and July 2015, to in principle approved the establishment of SACREEE as being in conformity with the objectives of the regional cooperation set forth in the Treaty of SADC.

In August 2015, the SADC Council of Ministers, at its meeting held in Gaborone, Botswana, endorsed the establishment of SACREEE and approved Namibia as host Country for the SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency basing itself on the recommendations of the Ministers responsible for Energy. The nomination of the host country followed a transparent and competitive bidding process. Interested and qualified regional and national institutions were invited to submit their applications in line with the established bidding and evaluation framework. In 2016 the SACREEE office was established in Windhoek, Namibia. The Government of Namibia agreed to provide office space and seconded staff to the centre.

The Ministers responsible for energy also recommended that the SADC Members States through their Ministries responsible for Energy are to identify and nominate National Focal Institutions (NFIs) focusing on renewable energy and energy efficiency to participate in the SACREEE activities.