Mines need power, and this has led to demand for project cargo services to boost generation and distribution in a region where 220 million people do not have electricity and those who are connected pay some of the highest prices in sub-Saharan Africa, according to the World Bank.Most of the development is in renewable power. A $311-million regional project, supported by the World Bank, aims to rapidly increase grid-connected renewable energy capacity and strengthen regional integration in Chad, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo.The African Development Bank is funding the Desert to Power West Africa Regional Energy Programme, which will help Sahelian countries to accelerate regional-scale development of solar power generation, transmission and decentralised solar power projects.Further support is coming from USAID through the West Africa Energy Programme, which is supporting the mobilisation of private sector investment in renewable energy.
