The I-TRACK Foundation is pleased to announce that Burundi has been approved for the issuance of I-REC(E) following the successful completion of the country assessment report and receipt of an official Letter of No Objection from the Government of Burundi.
The approval confirms that Burundi meets the requirements of the I-TRACK Foundation key governing document, the International Attribute Tracking Standard (Standard) and the I-REC Code for Electricity (I-REC Code), and that there are no regulatory, legal, or policy barriers preventing the implementation of an Energy Attribute Certificate (EAC) system or the issuance of I-REC(E) certificates within the country.
Issuer
Energy Peace Partners (EPP) is a nonprofit organization founded on the idea that renewable energy can serve as a building block for peace. In addition to standard I-REC(E) issuance, EPP also issues I-REC(E), with a Peace label attached, which is called a P-REC. This quality label attached to an I-REC(E) aims to increase renewable energy investment in geographies affected by conflict, climate change, and energy poverty.
With this approval, EPP now serves as the Accredited Issuer of I-REC(E) and P-RECs in Burundi, in addition to the countries where EPP is already the I-REC(E) Issuer: Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Haiti, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and South Sudan.
Burundi
Burundi, officially the Republic of Burundi, is a landlocked country in East Africa whose electricity sector is largely driven by renewable energy. Hydropower remains the dominant source of domestic generation, complemented by a growing solar photovoltaic (PV) capacity and regional power imports. In recent years, the sector has experienced notable development, with total electricity production reaching approximately 384 GWh in 2024, meeting about 86% of national electricity consumption.
With electricity demand estimated at around 440 GWh in 2024, the country faces an annual energy deficit of approximately 60–100 GWh, necessitating imports and contributing to frequent load shedding. In this context, the introduction of I-REC(E) provides a credible and internationally recognised mechanism to support renewable energy investment, enable transparent and verifiable renewable electricity claims, and align with national climate and development objectives, including Burundi’s Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement.
With this approval, the I-TRACK Foundation looks forward to supporting market participants and stakeholders as the I-REC(E) market develops in Burundi and contributes to expanding renewable energy investment and access across the country.