Interview with Sergi Pedra: “We have worked for the refugee population, but above all with them. The ‘with’ has been very important”

A key player in the deployment of the mini-grid which is already supplying community services in the Kobe refugee camp and its host community is the consulting and engineering company Trama TecnoAmbiental (TTA).

This is a global company that is a pioneer in the field of mini-grids based on 100% renewable or hybrid energies, and which, in the case of Alianza Shire, has worked side by side with Iberdrola, AECID and itdUPM, taking charge of the design and engineering of the mini-grid, as well as the processes of purchasing materials and commissioning.

To better understand their role in the project developed by Alianza Shire, we interviewed Sergi Pedra, industrial engineer, project manager at TTA and one of the main people responsible for making the mini-grid a reality today.

Sergi, thank you for your time. Could you start by telling us about TTA’s role in the Alianza Shire project in Dollo Ado?

TTA has a long track record of providing solutions using different types of technology, always based on renewable energy, for a wide range of clients. In the case of Alianza Shire, TTA was the EPCC (Engineering, Procurement, Construction, and Commissioning) contractor. This means that we were responsible for the engineering, procurement of all equipment and materials, the construction of the installation, and the commissioning of the mini-grid to supply electricity to 16 community services in the Kobe Refugee Camp. By community services, we mean hospitals, schools, recreation centres, local government offices and offices of international organisations that are present and active in the camp.

What technical solution has been designed and implemented in this project and what are its characteristics?

A mini-grid is an isolated, off-grid power generation and distribution system based on renewable energy. In the case of the Kobe mini-grid, one of the key requirements was that it had to provide uninterrupted power to all the community services I mentioned earlier, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, because they included health centres. Once we had the load profiles – that is, once we knew how much energy each of them consumed and when – we dimensioned the whole system, so we designed both the generation part and the distribution part, and we also included a storage part with batteries to serve the hospital centres, which also provide services at night.

One of the unique features of this mini-grid is that all the community centres are equipped with smart meters, which allow energy management in a very simple and automatic way. Another feature is that the system automatically detects illegal connections.

Have you had experience of working in a specific context such as a refugee camp? How would you describe the experience of working with and for a refugee population?

Personally, I had a very intense first period of work in the Middle East and Asia, for example in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Jordan, Bangladesh, Pakistan. And in Africa, in recent years I have worked in Malawi, Tanzania, Mauritania, Egypt and now Ethiopia. In projects like Malawi, it was a small installation with a short implementation period, so contact with the beneficiaries was limited. In contrast, with the Shire Alliance project, I have actually lived in the field for two months and the interaction with the local community is much deeper and more intense.

The experience of working in a refugee camp was unique, so you become aware of where the project is taking place and who you are working for. For example, in the camp there are centres for treating post-arrival trauma in people who usually come from very difficult situations of conflict, violent persecution… In a way, this gives an extra motivation to the work that we do.

I would like to emphasise that we have of course worked ‘for’ the refugee population, but above all ‘with’ them. The ‘with’ was very important.

 

 

The Shire Alliance was founded ten years ago on the hypothesis that when faced with complex problems such as access to energy in humanitarian aid, combining the experience of different and complementary organisations can produce better results than working separately.

But working in partnership also brings challenges, multiple interlocutors, etc. What was it like for you to work with Alianza Shire?

My overall assessment is very positive. It was enriching to work with the group of experts set up for this purpose, which included profiles from different organisations. As the project progressed and we encountered difficulties or challenges, we met almost every week to discuss how to solve them. And we met very good professionals who helped us to perfect the solutions we were offering, with a very practical perspective and a lot of knowledge.

One thing we really appreciated was that the proposed solutions were always backed by strict quality and security standards, and the process was very rigorous. Sometimes there are organisations with a very good purpose, but they neglect quality when working in developing countries. In this case, it was the other way round: we were very strict with the standards that Iberdrola manages in Europe, and that is something we value very highly. In addition, the learning has been mutual: for example, we have contributed something new on our side with smart meters.

There has also been very close cooperation with AECID, which has helped us a lot in all operational matters, and with itdUPM we have produced a very detailed and practical operation and maintenance manual for local agents. I would say that we have all benefited in both ways.

Sometimes there are organisations with a very good purpose, but they neglect quality when working in developing countries. In this case, it was the other way round: we were very strict with the standards that Iberdrola manages in Europe, and that is something we value very highly

And what about the challenges?

It has been a challenge to keep up with the demands of the whole world in a context where there were many factors beyond our control and with very short timeframes. More generally, the great challenge of working in a partnership is how to channel all the value of each person and each organisation towards the common goal, without losing strength in the process.

The great challenge of working in a partnership is how to channel all the value of each person and each organisation towards the common goal, without losing strength in the process.

 

In 2019, the World Bank stated that solar mini-grids have the potential to provide clean energy to around 500 million people by 2030, presenting them as one of the main solutions to reduce the energy gap, especially in developing countries. What would you say is the current trend in this regard? What are the main barriers and opportunities for wider deployment of this type of solution?

The trend is continuing and increasing. The World Bank is strongly committed to this type of solution, which offers great opportunities in areas such as Africa, where the population is widely dispersed in areas far from the central grid.

Mini-grids undoubtedly offer versatility and greater energy reliability than many national grids, which suffer from recurrent power outages. When equipment – such as in a hospital – is very sensitive and can break down, the stability of the power supply is critical.

The two biggest barriers to further expansion of mini-grids are the capital required at the outset, which is significant, and the availability of trained staff to maintain them at an operational level. In the case of Alianza Shire, the management model is very good, because they have a local energy cooperative that we have involved from the beginning, and we are training them specifically to maintain and operate the mini-grid, and also with a model of financial sustainability.

The two biggest barriers to further expansion of mini-grids are the capital required at the outset, which is significant, and the availability of trained staff to maintain them at an operational level.