A Bill to ratify the establishment of the International Renewable Energy Agency was tabled before the Ethiopian House of People’s Representatives.
The bill has been sent to the Natural Resource and Environmental Protection Affairs Standing Committee for further review.
Ethiopia will benefit from becoming a member of IRENA said Wendimu Gezahegn, deputy government whip. Advantages of membership include technology transfer and capacity building according to Wendimu.
Finding finance and investment sources for renewable energy projects will be easier for Ethiopia as well as enabling the country to develop expertise in the renewable energy sector he explained.
Technology selection, policy debates and experience sharing are also among the incentives for membership according to Wendimu.
Ethiopia will be expected to pay an annual membership fee of 1,285 US dollars as per the United Nations scale of Assessment should it become a member of IRENA.
IRENA was set up in the beginning of 2009 in Bonn, Germany. Its headquarters were established in the United Arab Emirates with research and development offices in Bonn. The IRENA membership currently includes 75 countries from across four continents.
The Agency aims to increase research into renewable energy and support projects. IRENA is financed through the contributions of member countries.
Source: Capital