Energy Projects

Project: Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Harmonization of Petroleum Standards
Implementer: ASTM International and the American Petroleum Institute (API)

The harmonization of regional petroleum standards will support consumer safety, minimize environmental impacts, maximize economies of scale, and ensure high quality petroleum products across the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS). Increasing understanding, adherence to, and usage of international standards for petroleum products will further increase global stability and drive economic growth in these emerging markets. Harmonized international standards help emerging economies access global markets and expedite regional petroleum processing by implementing existing best practices. Harmonization also promotes a level playing field so that end consumers receive the best value for money spent. Companies operating in West Africa will see improvements to their value chains in terms of advances in operating efficiency and higher-value product yield. The resulting buildup of quality infrastructure will provide direct positive impacts, including higher efficiency, increased safety, decreased environmental impact, and more effective delivery of public goods and services.

This project will introduce, share examples, and make suggestions to ECOWAS and its members on how to implement and make use of the World Trade Organization Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement decisions and principles related to international standards, good regulatory practice and national quality infrastructure. Using this knowledge, the Technical Harmonization Committees of ECOWAS will be able to identify, review, and modify existing standards that can be adopted and applied in the region. These activities will establish and sustain Western Africa’s fledgling petroleum industry by:

• Developing market-relevant, scientifically based best practice documents that support consistent requirements and evaluation of product;
• Providing reference documents to be cited in regulations; and
• Facilitating exchange of product by minimizing or eliminating barriers to trade.

Focus countries: Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Senegal

ECOWAS member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo

• Learn more about ASTM International
• Learn more about API
• Learn more about ECOWAS
• about this project

Project: ECOWAS Clean Cooking Fuels
Implementer: Pivot Clean Energy

Across West Africa, there is a need to build momentum for clean fuel standards and share international best practices on renewable fuel standards and resources for interested regional stakeholders. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region is considering a regional renewable fuel standard, which includes bioethanol, biodiesel, pellets, and briquettes. This standard will include renewable fuel for transportation, cooking, and heating and will support development of specifications for fuels in line with international standards and norms.

This project will provide ECOWAS stakeholders with a background on key clean fuel standards, particularly biofuels standards which can be utilized locally and regionally to meet energy, climate, health, and economic goals. Pivot, in partnership with ECOWAS’s Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, will host workshops on topics that align with national and regional clean fuel goals, work streams, standards, and policy development to galvanize further understanding and support for clean fuel standards.

Focus countries: Ghana and Senegal

ECOWAS member countries: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo

• Learn more about Pivot Clean Energy
• Learn more about ECOWAS
• about this project