This research project provided a detailed assessment of wind, solar and agricultural residue resources, and assessments of economic, environmental and social impacts of selected applications of wind, solar, biomass and biofuel technologies.
For the purpose of planning future investment in the renewable energy sector, the Malian energy authorities, Energie du Mali, private operators and international cooperation partners expressed a need for more precise assessments of the size and variety of renewable energy resources in Mali. The Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA) provided funding to a consortium of technical partners (including UDP) to map the country's renewable energy resources.
The project covered five aspects:
1) Analyses of the potential for sustainable, cassava-based bio-ethanol production in Mali
2) Agricultural residues for energy production in Mali
3) Pre-feasibility study for an electric power plant based on rice straw
4) Estimates of wind and solar resources in Mali
5) Screening of feasible applications of wind and solar energy in Mali, using the wind and solar maps for Mali
The project ran from 2009-2012, with key outputs published in the journal ‘Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews’ in early 2016.
