To watch the workshop’s context-setting remarks, click here.

To see the full session and featured presentations, visit MCDF’s digital platform, JIGSAW.

Workshop Series

Co-organized by the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance (MCDF), Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and Asian Development Bank (ADB), this workshop series spotlighted standards and practical lessons for advancing innovations in renewable energy technology and connectivity infrastructure in developing countries. It featured case studies and interactive discussions among governments, technology companies, International Financial Institutions, and developing country financiers, with a focus on Asia and Africa.

Certificate of Participation

Those who attended at least two out of three workshops in the series received a certificate of participation.

Workshop Three: Innovations in Renewable Energy Storage

The third workshop in the series examined innovations in renewable energy storage, such as batteries, pumped storage, and sands and market mechanisms to facilitate their development and scaling up.

Xiaoping Wang

Senior Energy Specialist, World Bank

<p>Dr. Xiaoping Wang is the Lead Energy Specialist at the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program of the World Bank, where she leads the energy storage program and partnership initiatives. Previously, she served as the Program Leader for infrastructure in Ethiopia, Sudan, and South Sudan, overseeing a portfolio of approximately USD 5 billion. This portfolio supported transport, energy, and digital development projects aimed at fostering growth and creating jobs. Dr. Wang has also worked extensively in East Asia, South Asia, and Latin America, with experience in the Chinese government, UNDP, and the World Bank. She is passionate about energy and development and has positively impacted the lives of over 5 million people by improving infrastructure services.</p>

Xiangjun Li

Director, Energy Storage Department, China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI)

<p>Dr. Xiangjun Li received his Ph.D. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the Kitami Institute of Technology (KIT), Kitami, Japan, in March 2006. He is currently the Director of the Energy Storage Operation Technology Research Lab, Energy Storage Department at the China Electric Power Research Institute (CEPRI), since November 2024.</p> <p>He is a Fellow of the IET, CAA, and CES, and a Chartered Engineer in the UK. Prior to joining CEPRI in March 2010, he was a Postdoctoral Research Fellow and Assistant Research Professor at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China (January 2008 – March 2010), and a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Korea Institute of Energy Research (KIER), Daejeon, Korea (May 2006 – December 2007).</p> <p>His current research interests include digital intelligence, planning configuration, integration, SCADA, operation control, and application technologies for energy storage systems/stations, distributed generation systems, electric vehicles, and micro-grids. He has published over 200 technical papers, holds over 150 patents, and has authored seven books.</p>

Ashraf Khadam

Senior Global Energy Specialist, Islamic Development Bank

<p>Dr. Ashraf Khadam is a seasoned&nbsp;Senior Global Energy Specialist at the&nbsp;Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), with over 20 years of experience in energy sector development, policy advisory, and project financing across 57 member countries. With expertise in&nbsp;renewable energy, energy transition, and cross-border energy integration, he plays a pivotal role in advancing IsDB’s mission to promote sustainable energy access and climate-resilient infrastructure in line with the Bank’s&nbsp;10-Year Strategy and SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy).</p>

Atsumasa Sakai

Senior Energy Specialist, Asian Development Bank

<p>Atsumasa Sakai is primarily responsible for spearheading emerging technologies and practices in the energy sector at the Asian Development Bank. He led the development of Mongolia’s first utility-scale battery storage project and is driving regional cooperation initiatives to enhance grid stability in response to the growing share of renewable energy sources across Central Asian countries. Currently, he oversees pioneering studies, including the ASEAN Power Grid, the Energy Infrastructure Resilience Initiative, and the Energy Storage Initiative across Asia and the Pacific. Prior to joining ADB, Mr. Sakai, an MIT graduate, gained valuable experience working at a prominent Japanese power utility.</p>

Osamah Alhamadi

Director, PMO at Renewable Energy Deputyship, Ministry of Energy, Saudi Arabia

<p>Osamah Alhamadi has 14 years of experience in the energy sector. He has worked for the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC), the Saudi Electricity Regulatory Authority (SERA), and the Ministry of Energy since 2019. He is currently the General Manager of Renewable Energy Policies, with experience covering project pre-development, tendering, and monitoring. His expertise also includes setting technical standards, policies, and strategies, in addition to regulatory work. Osamah holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering, as well as professional certificates in project management and QA/QC.</p>

Ede Ijjasz

Senior Advisor to the CEO, MCDF

<p>Ede Ijjasz is currently Senior Advisor to the CEO of the Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance, MCDF. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations and foundations, including the Global Reporting Initiative, GRI, one of the first organizations that developed ESG standards, currently used by more than 10,000 organizations in over 100 countries.</p> <p>Mr. Ijjasz had a long career at the World Bank, where he was part of the senior leadership responsible for the sustainable development, infrastructure, and climate change portfolios. He has worked in more than 90 developing and emerging economies in all regions of the world – from fragile and conflict-affected countries to high-middle-income countries. Mr. Ijjasz was responsible for about $80B of investments in and close to 800 policy reports during his World Bank career. He oversaw the implementation of the social standards of the World Bank’s ESG framework in the entire World Bank portfolio.</p> <p>Mr. Ijjasz has a Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He has been a lecturer at Tsinghua, Johns Hopkins, and Georgetown universities</p>

• Officials from ministries of energy, industry, technology, research, planning, and finance in developing countries
• Staff from financiers in developing countries working in the energy sector
• Staff of renewable energy technology companies and power and grid utilities
• Staff from International Financial Institutions and development partners
• Other interested stakeholders

The Workshop Series was held virtually. Speaker presentations, case studies, and discussions were conducted in English.

Participants engaged through small group discussions, quick-answer apps, and question-and-answer sessions at the end of each panel discussion.

• Multilateral Cooperation Center for Development Finance
• Saudi Arabia Ministry of Finance
• Islamic Development Bank
• Asian Development Bank

If you would like to learn more about the Workshop Series on Innovations in Renewable Energy Technology and Connectivity, please contact MCDF’s Jenny Lou Fernandez (jenny.fernandez@themcdf.org).

Concept Note: Workshop Series on Innovations in Renewable Energy Technology and Connectivity.