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SOLTRAIN Workshop to Inform Policy Makers of Project Modalities

The Clean Energy Research Centre (CERC) will host a SOLTRAIN Policy Workshop in the UB Faculty of Health Science videoconference room on September 9, 2020. The workshop will be a hybrid programme in that it will have both physical attendance and online participation.

The aims of the workshop are to inform policy makers on the SOLTRAIN project, work on national measures to implement the Solar Thermal Roadmap as well as to support governmental bodies concerning policies for different application groups. It is also to mobilize national and international funds for implementation.

SOLTRAIN, the Southern African Solar Thermal Training & Demonstration Initiative, is a regional programme that focuses on capacity building and demonstration of solar thermal systems in the SADC region. As part of the project, which has been running since 2009, Solar Thermal Roadmaps have been developed for all partner countries. The next step is to implement the roadmaps.

Participants of the workshop have been drawn from around the world including Austria and South Africa. Organisations that will be part of this high level workshop are United Nations Development Programme, Southern African Development Community (SADC) and various government ministries.

Other agencies include ADA, SADC Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (SACREEE), Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation (BITRI), Solar Industry Association of Botswana (SIAB), Botswana Development Corporation, Botswana Housing Corporation, Local Enterprise Authority and some private entities.

Keynote speakers are Senior Renewable Energy Engineer in the Department of Energy at the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Green Technology and Energy Security (MMGE), Mr James Molenga, SOLTRAIN Project Leader, AEE INTEC Austria, Mr Werner Weissand SACREEE Executive Director, Kudakwashe Ndhlukula.

Others are BITRI Executive Director, Dr Sebusang E. Sebusang, Dean Faculty of Engineering and Technology at UB, Professor Edward Dintwa, CERC Director, Dr Ditiro Setlhaolo, Africana Finance and Investments Chairman, Mr Siyanga Malumo and Solar Industries Association of Botswana President, Mr Felix Chavapi.

Participating as special guests are Ms. Mercedes Marin Nortes, EU Delegation in Botswana, Ms Chimbi Bratonozic, UN Specialist for Environment and Climate Change and Mr Stuart Kufeni, CEO SADC Development Finance Resource Centre as well as Professor Edwin Matlotse, Former Director CERC and author, Botswana Solar Thermal Roadmap.

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