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IAM COMPACT capacity development in Mombasa (Kenya), 2023: Students’ Workshop

08.09.2023 | Workshops

The first day kicked-off with an introduction to energy system modelling, covering a brief history of energy modelling and basic aspects of Energy Optimisation Models​ (reference energy system, classification, resolution, etc.). The session continued with a hands-on exercise, in which the students explored the implications of three different scenarios: imposing a carbon tax, introducing renewable incentives, and constraining land availability, and discussed how the least cost planning changes in each scenario.

The next session introduced Input-Output modelling, explaining the notions of industrial ecology, quantitative impact assessment, systems thinking, and the Leontief model. Finally, the day concluded with a hands-on exercise on Water management using Input-Output tables, where students were asked to introduce three different shocks and assess the change in economic and environmental impacts. 

I/O modelling

The second day expanded the scope and introduced the water, energy, and food nexus. The students were introduced to the concept of integrated analysis, where a CLEWs model for Kenya was presented, before shifting to a global approach through IAMs. WILIAM and GCAM models were briefly explained through a nexus lens, and examples of their applications for SDG analysis were shown. 

The students were then presented with a “Farming Optimisation Game” (Martindale, Leigh. (2023, May 8). Model Optimization: An IRL Farming simulation example. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7908954) and were asked to maximise profits and meet the increasing food demand over three years while considering the ecological impact of their farming choices. The game enhanced students‘ participation, and  some of the teams presented their results at the end of the session. 

The next presentation introduced the notions of scenarios, their role in energy modelling, the different types of scenarios and how they can be used to capture uncertainty. An example of scenario construction for Eastern Africa was then presented, before moving to a hands-on exercise where students were asked to design their own scenarios, either on pen and paper in a Kenyan context or in a global context by using the EN-ROADS tool. Teams where then asked to present their scenarios – e.g., one team featured just redistribution of trans-boundary resources for food and energy supply in Eastern Africa.

scenario presentation

The workshop ended with a sample CLEWs model application, which included some features relatable to Kenya’s energy, water and food supply chains. The students were provided with the OSeMOSYS model, and had the chance to run it and modify input parameters to create different scenarios. Finally, those interested were prompted to take  “Introduction to CLEWs” course. The next steps will include the formation of a modelling class at TUM supervised by Ms. Salsabila Abdulhalim, in addition to biweekly meetings with KTH to support progress.