Person:
Romo, Zayra
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Africa Energy Unit, World Bank
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Last updated
January 31, 2023
Biography
Zayra Romo is a Senior Energy Specialist at the World Bank Group. She has led technical analysis and been involved in investment operations related to energy infrastructure projects in Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa. In her current role, she leads the design and implementation of several investment operations in generation, transmission and distribution in Africa. She has assisted client countries to power sector planning, electricity sector reform and develop renewable energy programs, primarily in Liberia and Tanzania. Prior to joining the Word Bank, she worked for Electricite de France in Mexico as a technical power analyst. She has also worked on rural electrification projects in Nicaragua and conducted research on power sector development and low-carbon strategies. Zayra has a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and an MSc in Energy Conversion and Management from the University of Offenburg, Germany.
Publication Search Results
1 - 3 of 3
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Publication
Innovative Approaches for Tourism's Energy Challenge
(World Bank, Washington, DC, 2009-08)According on climate change and tourism the industry 'must rapidly respond to climate change, within the evolving United Nation (UN) framework and progressively reduce its Greenhouse Gas (GHG) contribution if it is to grow in a sustainable manner.' In Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC), fossil fuel accounts for about 75 percent of energy needs, creating a key challenge for sustainable tourism. To explore further the issues of energy use and tourism, the World Bank's LAC region hosted a special session as part of a two day event on sustainable tourism in April 2008. When energy consumption and carbon emissions grow due to the expansion of the tourism industry, so too do the economic benefits in terms of jobs and incomes for the countries of Latin America. To maintain a vibrant and growing tourist industry while reducing the carbon footprint, the session emphasized the need for the region to address two key issues: 'the mitigation of GHG emissions, derived from transport and accommodations activities, and the application of existing and new technologies to improve energy efficiency.' (United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), 2007) The session therefore highlighted new initiatives in GHG mitigation and innovative uses of renewable energy in LAC's tourism sector. This En Breve describes recent efforts by national governments, the private sector, and international organizations to address the challenges of climate change and carbon emissions in the tourism sector. -
Publication
The Power of the Mine : A Transformative Opportunity for Sub-Saharan Africa
(Washington, DC: World Bank, 2015-02-05)Africa needs power - to grow its economies and enhance the welfare of its people. Power for all is still a long distance away - two thirds of the population remains without electricity and enterprises rank electricity as a top constraint to doing business. This sub-optimal situation coexists while vast energy resources remain untapped. One solution to harness these resources could be to tap into the concept of anchor load. Mining industry lends itself to the concept of anchor load as it needs power in large quantity and reliable quality to run its processes. Underpinned by a comprehensive database of mining projects between 2000 and 2020, this report explores the potential and challenges of using mining demand for power as anchor load for national power system development and expansion of electrification. This report finds that mining demand can indeed be a game-changer - an opportunity where policymakers and international community can make a difference in tapping the enormous mineral wealth of Africa for the benefit of so many people. The utilities would benefit from having mining companies as creditworthy consumers that facilitate generation and transmission investments producing economies of scale needed for large infrastructure projects, benefiting all consumers in the system. The mines would benefit from grid supply - typically priced much lower than self-supply - which allows them to focus on their core business, greatly enhancing their competitiveness. The country would benefit from more exports and tax revenues from mines, more job opportunities in local firms selling goods and services to the mines, and a higher GDP. The report estimates that mining demand for power can triple since 2000 going upto 23 GW in 2030. While South Africa will continue to be the dominant presence in mining landscape, its importance will reduce and other countries, primarily in Southern African region, will emerge as important contributers of mining demand for power. Simulations in countries with minimal power-mining interface suggests that bringing this demand explicitly into the power planning process can ensure more investments in both grid and off-grid power systems and potentially superior service delivery outcomes for mines as well as communities. These opportunities can also be attractive investment destinations for private sector. However, there are also risks and institutional roadblocks in power-mining integration - addressing many of them and employing risk mitigation mechanism are within the control of policymakers. -
Publication
Low-Carbon Development for Mexico
(World Bank, 2010)One of the most compelling reasons for pursuing low-carbon development is that the potential impacts of climate change are predicted to be severe, for both industrial and developing countries, and that reducing greenhouse gas emissions can reduce the risk of the most catastrophic impacts. The challenge of reducing emissions is sobering: leading scientific models indicate that limiting the rise in global mean temperatures to less than two degree Celsius will require that global greenhouse gas emissions peak within the next 10-15 years and then fall by 2050 to levels about 50 percent lower than in 1990. Although many countries recognize the need to curtail carbon emissions, there is considerable uncertainty about how much this will cost in individual countries, what measures can be undertaken in both the short and longer term, and how cost-effective specific interventions are in reducing emissions. This study analyzes a range of energy efficiency options available in Mexico, including supply-side efficiency improvements in the electric power and oil and gas industries, and demand-side electricity efficiency measures addressing high-growth energy-consuming activities, such as air conditioning and refrigeration. It also evaluates a range of renewable energy options that make use of the country's vast wind, solar, biomass, hydro, and geothermal resources.