Developing Green Energy Infrastructure in Conflict-Affected Regions in Africa

At the March 2025 CERAWeek Innovation Agora, Associate Professor Vikrant Vaze discussed his research on developing green energy infrastructure in conflict-affected regions of Africa, focusing on the critical interplay between sustainability, energy security, and financing. Vaze emphasized that many sub-Saharan African countries grapple with fragile state dynamics characterized by inadequate infrastructure, climate change, and persistent energy poverty. The heavy dependence on diesel imports poses significant challenges, especially as regions like South Sudan face vulnerabilities to fuel convoy attacks, highlighting the urgent need for reliable and secure energy solutions.

Vaze identified opportunities for renewable energy transition, particularly through solar and wind resources, which are widely available and affordable in regions like Somalia, the Central African Republic, and South Sudan. He advocated for leveraging the purchasing power of UN peacekeeping missions, which contribute significantly to electricity consumption in these countries, to reinforce localized investments in green energy. Adopting a multi-objective optimization analysis approach, Vaze's research aims to balance various community benefits, such as minimizing upfront costs and maximizing reliable energy supply while reducing reliance on diesel.

His hybrid renewable energy system model utilizes stochastic programming to plan long-term and operational strategies, focusing on integrating solar, wind, and storage solutions. By identifying Pareto-optimal solutions—addressing trade-offs among cost, diesel dependency, community supply, and blackout reduction—Vaze presents a comprehensive framework for decision-making. The goal is not only to foster energy stability but also to promote local economic growth, support entrepreneurship, and ultimately reduce conflict through improved access to sustainable energy in these vulnerable regions.

CERAWeek is regarded as one of the most influential annual conferences in the energy sector, drawing nearly 10,000 executives, policymakers, investors, entrepreneurs, and scientists from around the globe. Attendees engaged in a week filled with hundreds of discussions, covering topics such as domestic energy production, the influence of AI on energy systems, the rapid deployment of solar energy, the evolving policy landscape, and pioneering carbon capture technologies.

The Irving Institute brought 25 delegates who actively networked with industry leaders and exchanged ideas. Our faculty, staff, and affiliated startups delivered over two dozen presentations throughout the week.

Read about Dartmouth's engagement at CERAWeek.