All-star team of experts assembled to support sustainable energy development across Africa

It is no small undertaking to change business as usual development and make a transition towards a sustainable energy approach, reflective of the SDGs and the goals of the Paris Agreement. The African Union is aware of this, but it doesn’t change the ambition. In support, the European Union DEVCO  created the Technical Assistance Facility for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) Initiative that the Stantec team in Belgium has been working to implement for the past 6 years.

During this time there has been much progress made, such as the adoption of the Strategy and Action Plan for the electricity harmonisation by the AU Heads of the States (2017), but there are still many more milestones to be reached. Among these aspirations include the development of a Continental Power System (transmission-generation) Master Plan and the Support to the design of the African Single Electricity Market – Policy Paper and Roadmap.

To help move these plans to action, Stantec has assembled an impressively high caliber team of experts who will provide instrumental expertise to carry this initiative to the next stage. This includes Dr. Dimitris Papastefanakis who was the coordinator for activities among the European Union Technical Assistance Facility and African Union related to electricity harmonisation for more than 6 years, Mr. Andris Piebalgs who was the EU Commissioner for development cooperation and Commissioner for Energy, Dr. Albert Butare who was the Minister of Energy, Communication and Water in the Republic of Rwanda, and Dr. William Gboney who is a senior power system engineer, energy economist as well as a regulatory economist, with many years of related working experience with the African Union. Stantec is also adding a powerful punch of its own, with in-house Energy Finance Expert Alexandros Grivas who have been working attentively on the project since its onset.

Mr. Piebalgs, who served on the panel that paved the way for the agreement on the SDGs, brings his more than 25 years of experience in working with different national and international institutions to support the project. “I am confident that, with the efforts being put forth in this programme and the passionate individuals collaborating together, we will be able to provide a real support to the transformation of the African energy and electricity markets that will be instrumental to the sustainable future and universal access to modern energy services,” states Piebalgs.

The diverse combination of experience and expertise will allow the team to tackle the challenges in delivering the main outputs of the project, a Continental Masterplan for energy generation and transmission and a policy paper - Roadmap for the African Single Electricity Market (AfSEM).

About Stantec
Communities are fundamental. Whether around the corner or across the globe, they provide a foundation, a sense of place and of belonging. That's why at Stantec, we always design with community in mind.

We care about the communities we serve—because they're our communities too. This allows us to assess what's needed and connect our expertise, to appreciate nuances and envision what's never been considered, to bring together diverse perspectives so we can collaborate toward a shared success.

We're designers, engineers, scientists, and project managers, innovating together at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships. Balancing these priorities results in projects that advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Stantec trades on the TSX and the NYSE under the symbol STN.