The Senegalese Energy Minister is open to renewable energies!
The Senegalese Energy Minister is open to renewable energies!
On 31 March the Senegalese State President Macky Sall visited the Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel with a governmental and parliamentary delegation from his country. Within this setting SenGermany organized a meeting between Mrs. Maïmouna Ndoye Seck, Senegal's Minister for Energy and Dr. Günther Horzetzky, State Secretary at the North Rhine-Westphalian Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Industry, SMEs and Craft Trade.
It all started on 8 November 2013 on the occasion of the 1st German-Senegalese Economic Summit in Düsseldorf. The Energy Minister expressed her wish to be present, but had only just been appointed as a new member of the Senegalese government, and did not come to Düsseldorf due to the numerous projects waiting for her on her desk.
SenGermany was persistent and invited her again on 31 March to Berlin. She came and was delighted to meet the State Secretary. But there is a clear divergence between the energy data of Senegal and those of North Rhine-Westphalia, as the Federal State NRW records an overproduction of electricity, consumes 40% of the German electric power in industry and produces 30% of the electricity, said State Secretary Horzetzky. Senegal, however, has no integrated network with its neighboring countries and in Senegal only 26% of the rural population is connected to the electricity grid, said the Energy Minister. Her government must even subsidize 30% of the electricity price for consumers, so as to enable the urban population to afford the energy. In spite of subsidies a kilowatt hour costs 0.20 Cent, which is still an excessively high price and must according to the latest plan of the government be reduced by 50%, so as to make it possible to transfer the subsidy to the health and education sectors, which are sorely in need of special support. Of particular interest for German energy industries is the goal of Senegal to permanently supply 60% of the rural population with cheap electricity by the end of the year 2016. This is "an ambitious goal", replied State Secretary Horzetzky, as in order to achieve such an objective within a period of two years, Senegal is especially in need for consultants rendering technical advice. Such targets, however, arrive just in time for a commitment of German entrepreneurs in Senegal, since on the very next day the Prime Ministers of the German Federal States met with the Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, in order to discuss about the turnaround in energy policy. Conclusion: The topic "energy" is a red-hot subject in Germany and in Senegal. Both countries aim to reduce the subsidies for electricity and simultaneously want to increase the share of renewable energies in the energy mix.
Up to the 2nd German-Senegalese Economic Summit, which shall take place in November 2014, the discussions between the representatives of both governments will be conducted in greater depth, with the aim to invest German know-how and capital in Senegal. At the end of the meeting the Energy Minister of Senegal expressed her wish to construct the new seat of her Ministry, which is intended to be a passive house, with Germany's assistance, so as to make the renewable energies in Senegal visible.
Ibrahim Guèye
