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EMRECC & CPSE Host Conference On Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies (ICCTR -2019)

EMRECC & CPSE Host Conference On Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies (ICCTR -2019)The Harare Institute of Technology's Department of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering (CPSE) in collaboration with the Renewable Energy and Climate Change Centre (EMRECC) and the Environmental Management Agency, held the International Conference on Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies (ICCTR – 2019) under the theme "Sustainable Energy Technologies for All (SEFTA).

The conference was held from 6 - 7 February 2019 at the Rainbow Towers Hotel.

The conference provided a platform for academia, industry, government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to come together and share innovative ideas and insights with regards to energy challenges as well as proffering applicable and sustainable solutions to the growing challenge.

It focused on both scientific innovations and technovations for sustainable and renewable energy solutions aimed at socio-economic development. This highly interactive fora featured among other things, ground breaking academic research presentations, plenary presentations as well as, panel discussions for policy makers, industry and NGOs.

EMRECC & CPSE Host Conference On Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies (ICCTR -2019)Participants were drawn from various organisations, local and international partners which include Zimbabwe Energy Council (ZEC),Environmental Management Agency (EMA), Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), Zimbabwe Manpower Development Fund (ZIMDEF), Renewable Energy Association of Zimbabwe, Rural Electrification Agency (REA), Friedrich Ebert Stuftung (FES), Zimbabwe Climate Change, Humanist Institute for Cooperation (HIVOS), Zimbabwe National Water Authority (ZINWA), Practical Action Business Council for Sustainable Development Zimbabwe, Development Bank of Zimbabwe ,SNV Netherlands, World Energy Council (WEC), World Federation of Engineering Organizations - Innovation Committee. the conference also got support from the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industries, Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Water, Climate and Rural Resettlement, Ministry of Energy and Power Development, and Ministry of Higher & Tertiary Education, Science and Technology Development.

In his keynote address at the Official Opening Ceremony Vice Chancellor, Eng Quinton C Kanhukamwe applauded the organisers for giving critical players in the energy sector a unique opportunity to share experiences, and insights as they craft and devise new strategies for the availment of clean energy sources. "As a growing Innovation and Technopreneurial University, HIT has deliberately created an ecosystem of disruptive innovations so that our research, development and innovation outputs become premised on the understanding that these are not mere intellectual exercises. The conference theme, "Sustainable Energy Technologies for All." has been influenced by various factors such as the national energy deficit, - a condition prevalent across the region and the globe. Most of the countries of the world, Zimbabwe not being an exception are facing a great challenge in terms of availability and access to energy. This is especially so in the face of growing demand due to population and industrial growth. Acute shortages of electricity and the increasingly depleting fossil reserve, coupled with environmental concerns surrounding the use of fossil fuels is justification for a shift towards sustainable and renewable energy solutions.

EMRECC & CPSE Host Conference On Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies (ICCTR -2019)The International Conference on Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies should be a platform for academia, industry, government and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to come together and share innovative ideas and insights with regards to energy challenges and proffering applicable and sustainable solutions to this growing challenge," he said.

Eng. Kanhukamwe added that renewable energy sources are very critical in this century for various reasons as they create sustainable communities, jobs, and arrest the rise in global temperature. "While we acknowledge that various technologies are continuously being developed in this area, some have not been accessible to the poorer communities, resulting in unequal development paths. Energy is the driver of economic development, and with rapid population growth and expansion of the urban centres, there has been an increase in energy requirements. Lack of it, results in energy- poverty which translates to uneven developmental opportunities. I presume that the great deliberations of this conference and the recommendations that this gathering of senior scientists and managers will have a huge impact on the emerging sector of our economy. I thank all the overseas delegates who have travelled from far and wide to participate in this conference. Special thanks are due to the invited keynote speakers for their time and efforts in preparing their presentations. I wish we could make this conference an annual event and continue to harvest from the fruitful deliberations as we continue to grow the renewable energy industry," he concluded.

EMRECC & CPSE Host Conference On Current Trends in Renewable Energy Technologies (ICCTR -2019)Speaking at the end of the conference, Chairperson of the Department of Chemical and Process Systems Engineering (CPSE) Eng. M. Manyangadze said the conference scored success as they managed to gather key people and organisations to deliberate on issues concerning renewable energy technologies. "We have heard from the government side, which is the policy side as well as from the civil society, business and industry representatives during our interactive discussion sessions.

HIT students from the departments of Chemical Process Systems and engineering, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering and the School of Information Sciences and Technology also made presentations at the conference.