Germany promotes renewable sources of energy in Senegal

6 October 2009

The German government has just made 37.4 billion CFA Francs (83 million Dollars) available to Senegal so as to encourage the development of renewable sources of energy and micro-credit.

The funds will be used to pursue the electrification of rural areas which is already in progress, and to invest in the development of renewable sources of energy, such as the construction of a photovoltaic electricity generating station or a wind farm.

“Germany wishes to make clear the contribution it is providing towards overcoming the crisis in the energy sector in Senegal”, Erich Stather, Germany’s Secretary of State for Development, told a press conference.

A crisis which, according to Momar Ndao, President of the Consumers Association of Senegal (Ascosen), is due in part to poor management of the national electricity company.

In an editorial in the newspaper Le Soleil, he complains about electricity cuts, taking the view that “Senelexc must improve the quality of its management and its production. The company mist make greater efforts to rationalise its charges and bring down its costs.”<br/>