Energy Development: Central Africa Seeks Interconnection

By Godlove BAINKONG, Cameroon Tribune, 05-11-2014

A 2014-2030 mutual strategy is under validation in a four-day workshop in Yaounde.  

Ten countries of Central Africa are seeking ways of associating efforts and infrastructure to maximize the enormous energy potentials it has and journey the region out of darkness and under development. A 2014-2030 mutual strategy drafted by the Central African Power Pool (CAPP) with technical expertise

of the European Union is under validation in a four-day workshop that began in Yaounde yesterday November 4 under the patronage of the Minister of Water Resources and Energy.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, the Permanent Secretary of CAPP, Jean Chrysostome Mekondongo, said target is to federate efforts, maximize potentials and journey out of underdevelopment. He said there are two categories of projects concerned with the strategy. These include priority integrating projects and trans-border interconnection projects. “This document is a fundamental tool for putting in place medium and long-term community energy development strategy,” he said.

There is a first segment which runs from 2014-2019 and which consists in putting in place necessary instruments notably studies, finalizing strategic document like the master plan and updating certain fundamental documents on electricity. The second segment runs from 2020-2030 and comprises inter-State connection of electricity and trans-border electrification. The Permanent Secretary of CAPP noted that these will be through States’ projects to share electricity and experiences so as to meet the growing energy needs of the population.

Sitting in for the Minister of Water Resources and Energy, the Inspector General in the Ministry, Huges Ngadeu Molapie, said Central Africa has one of the best hydroelectricity and hydrocarbon potentials in the continent but lags behind in maximizing them irrespective of the growing energy needs for household and industrial use. The strategy under study, he said, is therefore timely as it will allow for a common vision and efforts to transform the potentials into development tools.

Participants will equally look at ways of convening donor agencies to fund the strategy. The document if validated when the ongoing workshop ends next Friday November 7 will be submitted for the approval of Ministers of Energy of the region and then Heads of State for endorsement.