Newsletter, May 2023
Renewable Energy, Energy and Resource Efficiency Promotion
in International Cooperation
Dear Sir or Madame,
Innovative technical solutions based on renewable energies, energy and resource efficiency in developing and transition countries contribute to climate-friendly development. With their own challenges and potentials and thanks to their specific actors, different regions of the world are important hubs for innovation and transformation. REPIC continues to make a valuable contribution by promoting new partnerships on the one hand and by testing and adapting technical solutions on the other hand. By doing so, it participates in the transfer of Swiss know-how. REPIC does this in a targeted way in those regions of the world where the population is most in need of progress.
I am pleased to present two new REPIC pilot projects in this newsletter: one in Mali, where solar-powered cooling chambers are being tested for farmers’ cooperatives; the other in Rwanda, where the production of an affordable building material without cement and without firing is being commercialised. In addition, an overview of some ongoing and completed projects is provided.
Finally, I invite you to mark the date 30 November 2023 in your calendar. On this day, the annual REPIC event will take place, where you will have the opportunity to learn more about the REPIC-Pilot and REPIC-Rollout promotion tools and to exchange with the REPIC community.
Cornelia Hett
SDC, member of the REPIC steering group
News from the Management Agency
Next deadlines for REPIC Pilot and Rollout project submission
July 31st | October 4th
Information regarding the application process is available here.
Africa Business Day 2023
The Africa Business Day 2023 will take place on June 20th 2023, at the Trafo Event Centre, Baden AG (online participation possible). The event offers a valuable opportunity to meet with professionals active on the African continent and exchange about your experiences and projects. It is organised by the Swiss-African Buisness Circle (SABC) and supported by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). Information and registration : https://sabc.ch/africa-business-day/
REPIC Event 2023
Save the date ! The yearly REPIC event will take place on November 30th 2023, at the Eventforum, Bern. Various contributions will present the REPIC approach as well as the many projects supported by the plateform.
Recently launched projects
This new project aims to test solar-powered cooling chambers accessible to Malian farmers’ cooperatives. The cooling chambers will help preserve the crops and seeds, which will significantly increase yields. Training will be provided throughout the project to ensure that the cooling chambers are used correctly by the owners and local farmers. Regular data collection will facilitate the replication of similar projects in the future.
The ETH spin-off Oxara has developed a process to transform clay-containing excavated material into an alternative concrete without adding cement, allowing for cleaner and more sustainable constructions. As part of this new REPIC project based in Rwanda, Oxara will work in close collaboration with a network of building material producers, contractors, architects, government agencies and NGOs to demonstrate the advantages of their building blocks. A pilot-house will be build to test the new material.
Ongoing projects
The REPIC Steering Group and REPIC Management Agency visited the premises of NaturLoop in Biel. The start-up is supported by REPIC in its pilot project in the Philippines for the recycling of coconut waste. A demonstration of the production of the construction panels was offered to the visitors. This particular material uses only locally sourced coconut waste and a natural resin. This saves wood and reduces deforestation, a recurrent problem in the Philippines.
Recently ended projects
A photovoltaic-powered long tail boat was designed, built and successfully tested. It was presented to the local authorities of Bangkok and the Swiss ambassador during a fair organised by the Swiss embassy of Thailand. The e-boat has now been handed over to a local operator for further exploitation tests. Read the full account of the project in the final report.
Pyrolysis has made it possible to exploit the potential of large quantities of organic waste such as coffee pulp in Peru. On the one hand, the heat from the process optimises the drying of coffee cherries. On the other hand, the charcoal produced by the process is reused by the farmers to clean up the soil. 360 families benefit from the new plant and three jobs have been created.
The installation of photovoltaic panels associated with the Power-Blox intelligent management system has made it possible to electrify 4 villages in Mali and one in Rwanda. The annual production of approximately 16,500 kWh allows for the equivalent of nearly 100 tons of CO2 to be saved. More details can be found in the final report of the project.
In addition to the examples presented above, you will find an account of all our past and ongoing projects on our website : Repic – Portfolio.
Anyone wishing to receive our newsletter is welcome to subscribe here: Newsletter Sign Up
If you no longer wish to receive our newsletter, you can unsubscribe from here: unsubscribe
REPIC Plateform ; c/o NET Nowak Energie & Technologie SA, Waldweg 8, CH-1717 St. Ursen
Tel : +41(0)26 494 00 30 – www.repic.ch –