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Developing capacity for storm and lightning early warning for the energy sector in Ghana (EW4Energy)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Context Climate change is rapidly increasing extreme weather in Africa, threatening lives and livelihoods. Access to electrical power has numerous benefits across society, and the energy sector in Ghana is developing rapidly, but is vulnerable to lightning and storms, and would benefit from warnings tailored to its needs. Addressing the urgent need for improved early warnings in Africa, as recognised by the UN’s Early Warning for All initiative, requires greater capacity in Africa throughout the complete chain, from observations, through predictions to warnings. Numerical Weather Prediction systems developed in the Global North are much less effective in the tropics where the weather is dominated by convective storms, but there is much greater scope for nowcasts (predictions based on observations). Nowcasting in Africa has been held back by a shortage of ground-based radar observations, but AI/ML is revolutionising nowcasting and satellite-based nowcasting has proven effective. Now, for the first time, we have high-frequency satellite observations of lightning, providing a new opportunity for improved nowcasts of storms and lightning. The Challenge There is currently no ground-based lightning observing instrumentation in Ghana, for real-time information for warning, or comparison with satellite data, and limited capacity in the atmospheric physics of lightning-generating storms. Nowcasting is in its infancy in Ghana, with key systems run in the UK, and with no products tailored to the energy sector. There is an under-representation of females within physics, and a shortage of physics skills to provide climate solutions. EW4Energy addresses these challenges. Objectives EW4Energy will deploy the first ground-based lightning observing systems in Ghana, developing technical capacity in developing, building and running sensor networks. Together with ground-based data, it will exploit new space-based lightning observations to provide a new understanding of the physical processes governing the occurrence of lightning in West Africa. Exploiting synergies with ongoing UK projects on storm warning systems for Africa, EW4Energy will use its new physical insights to improve systems for the prediction of storms and lightning, and subsequent warning systems in Ghana. This will have a focus on information for the energy sector but have much wider benefits. EW4Energy builds from strong existing UK-Ghana partnerships, to deliver research and build the capacity of physics ECRs in Ghana, including female ECRs, with a leadership team that will allow an equitable partnership between institutions. Project activities addressing ECRs beyond the project team will deliver much wider capacity development. Applications and Benefits The physical science in EW4Energy will be rapidly translated to societal benefit, both within and outside the project. EW4Energy will work directly with the energy sector to co-produce information and warnings to meet their needs, and develop Ghana’s public storm and lightning warnings. EW4Energy will also work with other ongoing projects to deliver a wider impact at scale. Leeds and UKCEH are already running and developing storm nowcast systems for Africa, with the FASTA phone App used by thousands in Africa. EW4Energy will inform this ongoing development, giving rapid pull-through of EW4Energy’s physics to early warning, with benefits far beyond the energy sector. EW4Energy will transfer these nowcast systems to Ghana, building the essential physics capacity that is needed to innovate, develop and run such systems long-term, training the new generation of male and female physicists that are required to meet the challenge of addressing climate change in Africa.
ExtraCECI: A cluster randomised controlled trial of community-based person-centred enhanced care for people with HIV/AIDS in Ghana
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
MRC AGHRB award to conduct a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a community based enhanced care intervention (CECI) to improve quality of life and person-centred outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS in Ghana.
Sustainable, Holistic and Inclusive Energy Systems for Well-being (SHINE)
DEPARTMENT FOR SCIENCE, INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY
Communities are built around shared resource of commodities. Today, no commodity is more important than energy. Energy access, clean energy and energy cost link multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including climate action, health and gender equality. Communities with clean, cost-effective and reliable energy sources can thrive, supporting education, healthcare and equal gender opportunities. Conversely, communities without clean energy access must rely on labour intensive, dirty fuels for lighting, cooking and heating. These have detrimental impacts on well-being for hundreds of millions of people globally. Energy systems are often designed with linear goals (e.g. number of households connected to a grid) without consideration of just, effective, energy transitions. This marginalises communities: linear goals do not align with community needs, working directly against the Ayrton theme of Inclusive Energy and Leave No One Behind. This proposed research addresses this Ayrton theme, creating a transdisciplinary well-being design framework that considers socio-economic, environmental, health and technological conditions, to improve inclusion and sustainability of energy access interventions. Focussing on The Gambia and Ghana, this research will answer the question: To what extent does the utilisation of a well-being framework act as a driver for sustainable energy system design and enable an inclusive energy transition? Local research institutions MRC Unit The Gambia, University of The Gambia, Mbolo Association, and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana are proposal co-creators and will direct this into relevant Africa-centric research. The following objectives are proposed: Understand success, failure and the well-being impacts of energy interventions by reviewing and mapping previous energy access initiatives in sub-Saharan Africa. Create a holistic well-being framework, utilising transdisciplinary methodologies to transform energy system design (SHINE framework). Pilot the SHINE framework on small-scale energy interventions in energy vulnerable communities in The Gambia and Ghana. Evaluate the usability and outcome of the SHINE framework on overall energy system design. Capacity building and knowledge transfer to local, national, and international stakeholders, to secure scalable, sustainable impact of the SHINE framework. Using a case control methodology, we will pilot the SHINE framework through energy interventions with off-grid communities. Analysis themes of gender and social inclusion; climate; health; policy and economic; and technology will impart the SHINE framework on energy system design. Monitoring, through quantitative and qualitative data collection, will highlight the intervention’s efficacy, scale and performance. The anticipated outcomes of this programme are: Creation of an interdisciplinary well-being framework that drives energy system design for inclusive energy transitions (SDG7.1 7.A). Open datasets (socio-economic, gender and social inclusion variables), reporting energy situations of off-grid communities and the well-being impact of energy interventions (SDG7.1, 7.2, 7.3 7.A). A policy brief, highlighting opportunities of a well-being framework to create an environment for effective, impactful energy interventions (SDG7.B 13.2; 13.B). A technology/knowledge transfer programme to build skills, capacity and capability of stakeholders, local communities and women entrepreneurs (SDG7.A, 13.3, 13.B) SHINE’s impact will enable designers and implementers to incorporate, increase and measure inclusivity, health, sustainability and other multi-dimensional wellbeing impacts. This will provide a clear pathway for just energy transition in The Gambia and Ghana. SHINE will work towards all SDG7 targets, providing a framework for energy service providers to follow, whilst contributing to SDG13 targets for climate action and climate education for adaptation, resilience and reduced impact of changes (13.1,13.3).
Amandi Energy
British International Investment plc
Debt investment by CDC into Amandi Energy for the development, construction and operation 192.4 MW combined cycle power plant to tackle Ghana's power shortage.
Miro Forestry Company
British International Investment plc
Miro Forestry is a sustainable forestry company with plantations in rural Sierra Leone and Ghana, producing plywood and other value-added wood products.
African Forestry Impact Platform
British International Investment plc
We co-developed the African Forestry Impact Platform (AFIP) with New Forests Pty Ltd, as a vehicle to invest in forestry assets in sub-Saharan Africa. It is managed by New Forests.
Amandi Energy
British International Investment plc
The Amandi Energy Independent Power Project (IPP) involves the construction of a 203 megawatt (MW) combined cycle gas turbine in Western Ghana, near the coastal town of Aboadze.Amandi Energy is part of the STL Group, an infrastructure and energy group that has operated in Ghana and West Africa for over 30 years.
mPharma Data Inc
British International Investment plc
mPharma is a tech-enabled healthcare company developing a more-efficient supply chain for pharmaceutical products across Africa.
Growth Investment Partners Ghana Ltd (GHS)
British International Investment plc
Growth Investment Partners (GIP) Ghana provides long-term flexible capital, primarily in local currency, to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana.
Growth Investment Partners Ghana Ltd (GHS)
British International Investment plc
Growth Investment Partners (GIP) Ghana provides long-term flexible capital, primarily in local currency, to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Ghana.
Neoma Africa Fund
British International Investment plc
This is a pan-African mid-cap fund.
AFIG Fund II LP
British International Investment plc
The AFIG Fund II aims to invest in small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) in sub-Saharan Africa which operate in the agribusiness, manufacturing, energy, food and beverages, healthcare, and financial services sectors.
Injaro Agricultural Capital Holdings Ltd
British International Investment plc
The Injaro Agricultural Capital Holdings Fund (IACH) is an agriculture-focused fund which makes investments in debt, quasi-equity, and equity in small-and medium-sized agricultural enterprises in Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger and Sierra Leone.
SFC - GCRF QR funding
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Formula GCRF funding to the Scottish Funding Council to support Scottish higher education institutes (HEIs) to carry out ODA-eligible activities in line with their three-year institutional strategies. ODA research grants do not represent the full economic cost of research and therefore additional funding is provided to Scottish HEIs in proportion to their Research Excellence Grant (REG). In FY19/20 funding was allocated to 18 Scottish higher education institutes to support existing ODA grant funding and small projects. GCRF has now supported more than 800 projects at Scottish institutions, involving over 80 developing country partners.
UUKi Delivery Support
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
These are delivery cost for shared learning workshops/training and best practice (for current and future applicants) on ODA assurance, eligibility, reporting and partnership working through either the NF and GCRF
Ad-hoc GCRF activity on BEIS Finance system
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Increased contributions towards a range of research projects jointly funded with DFID, and funding for the Devolved Administrations for disbursement to universities within the devolved regions to fund the full economic cost of GCRF ODA research.
DfE NI - GCRF QR funding
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Grant to Department for the Economy, Northern Ireland to enable Northern Irish higher education institutes to carry out pre-agreed ODA-eligible activities in line with their institutional strategies. For Queen’s University Belfast in FY2019/20 this included: workshops in Cambodia, Vietnam, South Africa, and Uganda about health and education; 11 pilot projects spanning 16 eligible countries (Angola, Burundi, China, Colombia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Kosovo, Malaysia, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam and Zimbabwe); and additional support to GCRF and NF-funded activities. For Ulster University in FY2019/20 funding supported six pump-priming projects on: LMIC maternal, neonatal and child health; PTSD in Rwanda; Decision-Making in Policy Making in Africa and Central Asia; and hearing impairment and dementia in China.
HEFCW - GCRF QR funding
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Additional GCRF funding to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales to support Welsh higher education institutes (HEIs) to carry out ODA-eligible activities in line with their institutional strategies. ODA research grants do not represent the full economic cost of research and therefore additional funding is provided to Welsh HEIs in line with their research council grant income. In FY19/20 funding was allocated to Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff University and Swansea University. In FY19/20, the funding was used to fund: the full economic cost of existing ODA eligible activities (e.g. already funded by GCRF); small ODA-eligible projects; fellowships to ODA-eligible researchers; and to increase collaboration and impact. 53 ODA-eligible countries have been reported as benefiting from the funded work, with Brazil and India the most frequently mentioned. By region, the largest number of projects were based in the LDC’s (Least Developed Countries) in Asia, South America, and East Africa, with only a few projects in the middle-income countries such as Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Georgia.
Royal Academy of Engineering Core - Frontiers of Engineering for Development
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Frontiers of Engineering for Development is a series of interdisciplinary symposia that facilitates national and international collaboration to tackle global development challenges. The event brings together a select group of around 60 emerging UK and global engineering and international development leaders from industry and academia to discuss pioneering technical work and cutting-edge research for international development from a diversity of engineering fields. Seed funding is available to progress some of the best ideas coming out of the event. COVID-19
Royal Academy of Engineering Academies Collective Fund: Resilient Futures - Frontiers of Development
DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, ENERGY & INDUSTRIAL STRATEGY
Frontiers of Development is part of the Joint Resilient Futures Initiative which is a collaboration between all four UK Academies under the GCRF. The aim of the JRF initiative is to construct a pipeline in the UK and the developing world for interdisciplinary researchers focused on tackling development challenges in a sustainable manner.