Cameroon, Korea Explore More Energy Partnership Avenues

By Victorine BIY, Cameroon Tribune
The fifth Korea-Cameroon Energy Cooperation Forum held in Yaounde yesterday.
Energy experts from Cameroon and the Republic of Korea have again met to exchange views on how possibly technology from the developed country can help Cameroon boast its energy supply. They met at the fifth Korea-Cameroon Energy Cooperation Forum on the theme;
« Investment Opportunities in the Energy Sector. », on May 30, 2016, in Yaounde.
The Minister of Water and Energy, Basile Atangana Kouna unearth Cameroon’s potential in the energy sector, telling Korean investors that the country is a land of hospitality to whosoever want to set up businesses in that sector. Government has put in place investment incentives worth trying, he stated. The Minister said previous fora hinged on petroleum energy and today, Korea is Cameroon’s partner in the construction of a pipeline that will transport petroleum from Limbe in the South West Region to Yaounde in the Centre Region.
Cameroon is also working with the Republic of Korea through its development agency, KOICA, to draw a Master Plan for the development of renewable energy in Cameroon. “This is to say that we have fruitful ties with Korea, in the energy sector,” affirmed the Minister of Water and Energy. Cameroon has the second potential of hydro electricity in Africa after the Democratic Republic of Congo. The country also boasts of renewable energy, solar energy, biomass and other forms of energy.
Access to energy supply remains insufficient in spite of the huge potential, with Basile Atangana Kouna stressing that efforts were underway for the country to be energy sufficient by 2020. Diversifying investment partnership is one of the ways government hopes to achieve its energy development plan.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to Cameroon, His Excellency, Lim Jae-Hoon stated that by sharing information and know-how was his country’s resolve to help develop Cameroon’s energy sector. Bringing in the officials from the K-Water, one of the biggest public corporations in the domain of energy and water in Korea, Kepco Engineering and Construction Company and the Samsung Electronics to the forum to share experiences and offers was Korea’s commitment to support Cameroon develop its energy potential, the Ambassador pointed out.
Lim Jae-Hoon recalled that a country cannot industrialise without energy. Powering Cameroon sufficiently is therefore part of efforts of the Korea government to assist its friendly country, Cameroon, the Korean diplomat stressed.