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Position: Consultant – Renewable Energy Investment Advisor
Length of term: Short – term
Location: Gaborone, Botswana (with regional travel)
Program Overview:
The Southern Africa Trade Hub (SATH) seeks to increase international competitiveness, intra-regional trade and food security in the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) region. SATH will realize this through supporting progress on the SADC regional integration agenda and increasing the trade capacity of regional value chains in selected sectors.
SATH’s team of technical advisors will deliver targeted assistance to governments, the private sector and civil society organizations throughout the SADC region to realize the advantages of greater regional and global trade linkages and export-oriented business development across seven activity components:
• Effective Implementation of the SADC FTA and other Regional Trade Agreements
• Improved Trade Facilitation in Transit, Customs, and other Areas
• A Better Trade & Investment Enabling Environment through Improved Policies
• Strengthened Regional Capacity for Energy Sector Planning and Cooperation
• New Trade Linkages Established and Greater Competitiveness in Staple Foods and other Strategic Value Chains
• Increased Availability and Use of Financial Products & Services for Trade & Investment
• Increased Investment through Targeted Promotion Efforts
Position Objective:
In recent years, the SADC Region has faced considerable energy crisis; in particular the demand for energy has overtaken the generating capacity thus resulting in frequent load-shedding and power outages. This high demand for energy has led to significantly low access to electricity primarily in the rural areas. According to the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Partnership (REEEP), only about one-fifth of the Sub-Saharan population has access to electricity, compared with about one-half in South Asia and more than four-fifths in Latin America. This is in-spite of the fact that Southern Africa holds immense potential to harness alternative energy sources. In light of this energy supply crisis, the biggest opportunity for Southern Africa is to reform the energy sector and build new generation capacity from renewable-energy sources.
There is therefore need to promote and attract investment into renewable energy in order to increase the contribution of clean energy technologies to the energy mix of the region. Investment promotion in the renewable energy resources will contribute to not only enhancing security of supply, but also in mitigating the destabilizing effects of climate change on economic growth. In addition, investment promotion in the energy sector will not only increase private sector participation through increased number of independent power producers but will also create sustainable employment opportunities for the region.
It is against this background, that USAID Southern Africa Trade hub, is commissioning a consultancy to develop an investment promotion program in the Renewable Energy Sector.
The key objectives of this consultancy would be:
1. To develop an implementable renewable energy investment promotion program for SADC Region;
2. To identify viable investment opportunities in the renewable energy sector in the region.
Responsibilities:
• Develop an investment promotion program in the area of renewable/alternative energy;
• Identify renewable energy companies and financiers with specific interest in investing in Southern Africa;
• Identify specific renewable energy investment opportunities in Southern Africa;
• Match the investment opportunities to specific suitable SADC countries;
• Assess the administrative and legal possibilities for independent power producers to supply/feed the national grid;
• Liaise and gauge the level of interest from other US agencies responsible for trade promotion, promotion of energy technologies and;
• Identify suitable and reputable renewable energy conferences, expos and exhibitions in 2012 to be held in Southern Africa.
Deliverables:
1. Report highlighting actionable investment promotion program;
2. A list of investment opportunities in the renewable energy in Southern Africa;
3. A list of potential renewable energy technologies and financiers.
Qualifications:
• Minimum of a post graduate degree in economics or engineering field;
• At least 5-10 years of experience working on investment promotion, expos and exhibitions with specific focus on renewable energy;
• Experience working with promotion of renewable energy technologies;
• Understanding of Southern African regional renewable energy policies and regulation issues will be an added advantage;
• Strong communications and training skills as well as effective report writing skills;
• Experience of communicating at the highest levels of government, power utilities, energy regulatory agencies, and;
• At least 5 years’ experience working on international and regional assignments with donor agencies such as USAID or other US Government Agencies, World Bank or UN.
AECOM employees around the world enjoy a wide range of benefits and competitive compensation package. AECOM is much more than just a place to work. It’s a place where you can put your innovative thinking and business skills into high gear and work alongside other highly intelligent and motivated people. It’s a place where you can apply your skills to some of the world’s most challenging, interesting, and meaningful projects worldwide. It’s a place that values the diversity of our areas of practice and our people. It’s what makes AECOM a great place to work and grow. AECOM is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Application Deadline: 06 April 2012