MEDIA

Echoes from the field

The African Legal Support Facility supports the Republic of Congo in the energy sector

Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, 27thSeptember 2019: The African Legal Support Facility hosted a capacity-building workshop from 24-27 September 2019 in Brazzaville, Congo, for Government officials and civil servants of the Ministry of Energy and Hydraulic Resources, the Agency for the Regulation of the Electricity Sector, the National Agency for Rural Electrification, and the utility company Energie Electrique du Congo. It was the first of two trainings planned to support the Republic of Congo in the energy sector.

In her opening remarks, Ms. Rita Madeira, Legal Counsel at the ALSF, highlighted the importance of engaging in in-depth discussions of key issues for the development of power projects in the safe space of a hands-on workshop, without the pressures of an actual negotiation, in order to enhance the knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles of power project development and negotiation.

The workshop included very interactive sessions focusing on project finance, on the procurement of independent power producers and relevant bidding documents, and on analyzing key legal documents such as the power purchase agreement.

The four-day workshop empowered Government officials by giving them valuable tools to be used in the context of power project negotiations with developers and financial institutions by understanding the dynamics and key principles that govern project finance and project development, in particular risk allocation.

• “The workshop was very good because it blended theoretical aspects with practical experience shared by the legal counsel and the ALSF. This will help the participants to have more clarity about all these new concepts and knowledge” Mr. Émile Opangault, Director General of the Agency for the Regulation of the Electricity Sector
• “This workshop provided a lot of information regarding power project financing, as well as feedback based on experience. This is exactly what the Ministry of Energy was hoping for.” Mr. Guy Nganguia, Legal and administrative Advisor to the Minister of Energy and Hydraulic Resources

This first workshop provided the necessary backdrop for the Legal Counsel to draft a “Toolkit” for the procurement of independent power producers, which will include template documents such as a model concession agreement and power purchase agreement. The toolkit will be presented and discussed during the second workshop, which will also take place in Brazzaville.

About ALSF
Created by the African Development Bank in 2010, the ALSF supports governments in negotiating complex commercial transactions, providing legal and technical assistance in public-private partnership projects across the oil and gas, mining and energy sectors, and covering sovereign debt issues and creditor litigation.

Contact us
Eve Ehoura, Communication Officer: Eve Ehoura: e.ehoura@afdb.org
Rita Madeira, Legal Counsel: r.madeira@afdb.org