For the second time, the International Institute of Refrigeration (IIR) took part in the ECOWAS Sustainable Energy Forum (ESEF), this year held on November 28-29 in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. The IIR’s participation highlighted the significant progress made by its projects in the region, particularly in the fields of solar cooling, sustainable refrigeration, and strengthened partnerships with stakeholders to continue delivering clean energy solutions.
A Step Toward a Just Energy Transition
ESEF, organised by the ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE), is an annual event designed to foster partnerships and explore investment opportunities in the energy sector across West Africa. This year’s theme, “Towards a Just Energy Transition in the ECOWAS Region”, attracted over 400 participants from 30 countries, including policymakers, industry leaders, and global experts. The forum aimed to address the region’s energy challenges while promoting sustainable and affordable energy solutions, reaffirming ESEF’s place as the region’s premier event for energy stakeholders.
AGRI-COOL presented during the SophiA Workshop on Solar Cooling and Heating
On November 27, the IIR organized a 3-hour workshop focusing on solar cooling and heating technologies, showcasing projects that have already made significant strides in the ECOWAS region. The workshop was held at the Centre des Conventions Hôtel Radisson Blu (Salle Bamako), and was hybrid, allowing participation from partners and students who could not attend in person. More than 70 persons participated to this workshop with half of students’ particpation!
Known more about the SophiA Workshop here.
Dr. Ina Colombo, representing the IIR, took a 10 minute opportunity to present the AGRI-COOL project purposes, targets, objectives, partners. The new AGRI-COOL website was highly promoted, emphasizing registration to the Newsletter to keep them regularly updated!
Throughout the workshop, participants engaged in lively Q&A sessions, exchanging ideas and solutions for overcoming the region’s energy and cooling challenges. Following the presentations, a networking break provided ample opportunity for further discussions and collaboration.
The PPT presentations are available from the SophiA website here.
On November 29, in addition to the SophiA workshop, the secretary of IIR CaRe working group and INWIC president Elected in 2025 Ina Colombo has participated in a panel session on women entrepreneurs in the clean energy sector, moderated by the GIZ. Her presentation sparked a vibrant discussion on the challenges and opportunities facing women in the energy sector, particularly in Africa. Ina Colombo presented the results from West African respondents of Women in Cooling Worldwide Survey undertaken by CaRe, aimed to better understand the career paths, motivations, challenges and opportunities faced by women working in the industry. The INWIC mentoring and networking activities were highlighted as key strategies to enhance women’s participation in the RACHP sector.
In the afternoon, the IIR participated in another panel session on energy modeling and planning for sustainable development moderated by the 2iE SophiA partner, where the AGRI-COOL project was presented by the IIR. The session also featured sister projects Energica and OnePlanet.
Recognition at ESEF 2024
The IIR was awarded the prestigious ECREEE AWARD for its outstanding contribution to sustainable energy development through the SophiA project, recognising the institute’s efforts in promoting solar cooling and sustainable energy technologies across Africa.
The IIR’s participation in ESEF 2024 underscored the growing importance of sustainable cooling solutions and energy-efficient technologies in West Africa. The diverse range of projects and innovations presented highlighted the pivotal role of collaboration and knowledge exchange in overcoming the region’s energy challenges. As we look forward to ESEF 2025, AGRI-COOL is with two of its partners, ECREEE and IIR, very excited about the opportunities to build on these achievements, expand partnerships, and further contribute to a just and sustainable energy transition across the region. The future of cooling, clean energy, and sustainable development in Africa is bright, and we can’t wait to see what next year’s forum will bring!
