Infrastructure Consulting Services – Energy Benin II

In September 2015 and on behalf of the United States Government, the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) signed a second Compact with the Government of Benin under the Millennium Challenge Account – Benin II (MCA Benin II). This second compact is focused on developing the energy sector in line with the three pillars of the Sustainable Energy for All initiative (SE4All), which are to increase access to energy, develop renewable energy capacity and increase the rate of improvement in energy efficiency. This second compact follows the successful completion of a USD 307 million first compact implemented from October 2006 to October 2011.   The second compact comprises four main projects in the following areas: (1) Policy reform and institutional capacity building; (2) electricity generation; (3) electricity distribution; and (4) off-grid electricity access. Launched in June 2017, the overall goal of this five-year compact is to build the capacity of Benin’s national electric utility, attract private investments and provide funding for power generation and distribution projects as well as for off-grid electrification projects. Econoler is part of a consortium, led by WSP Canada, mandated to provide technical support during the implementation of MCA Benin II projects.  

Econoler is providing implementation support and overseeing energy efficiency (EE) related activities. More specifically, the Econoler mandate entails:

• Conducting stakeholder consultations to discuss the project plan in general and all activities related to energy efficiency (EE);
• Reviewing the monitoring and evaluation plan to propose improvements which would enable MCC to adequately assess EE project impacts in accordance with the compact;
• Reviewing aspects of the detailed project work plan and proposing improvements to project design as per MCC requirements;
• Providing ongoing technical support during the implementation of EE projects within the framework of the MCA Benin II Compact.

  As part of the mandate, Econoler is supporting MCA Benin II in the selection of ten industrial pilot sites in the manufacturing sector. The projects at each of the ten industrial pilot sites entail conducting energy audits and providing technical support to audited facilities in forming and operating an energy management committees whose members will be trained to design and implement an energy management system based on ISO 50001. The manufacturing industries selected for the pilots represent the food and beverage, textile, construction materials and cement subsectors.