The power Africa programme which aims to increase access to power by adding more than 30 000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity to the grid throughout sub-Saharan Africa by 2030 received a boost as Eaton Power management company announced its commitment to bring world-class innovation, technology.
The ‘Power Africa’ initiative was launched by President Barack Obama during his Africa tour in July 2013 and will continue under the Trump administration. With the goal of doubling electricity supply across the continent and increasing access to reliable, affordable and sustainable power; key private sector initiatives are crucial to the programme’s success.
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Seydou Kane, Managing Director for Eaton Africa while speaking on Eaton’s commitment to the initiative, said: “As leaders in the advancement of power infrastructure across Africa, it is a natural fit for Eaton to collaborate with ‘Power Africa’ in their drive to accelerate sustainable development across the sector. With our rich heritage in Africa and ability to provide tailored solutions to help meet the surging electricity demand, Eaton is ideally positioned to work with the broader ‘Power Africa’ ecosystem.
“This initiative requires commitment from across the value chain and we are proud of the expertise we bring to the table, particularly in identifying key investment opportunities, our strong local market capabilities and contributing to the greater goal of improving lives and driving development across Africa.’’
Eaton brings engineering expertise and a wide portfolio of electrical power management technologies to dozens of projects in Africa including; providing its Cooper Power series voltage regulators to enable an Ivory Coast power utility company to increase the country’s electricity capacity from 1,600 megawatts to 4,000 megawatts by 2020.
The programme aims to increase access to power by adding more than 30 000 megawatts (MW) of cleaner, more efficient electricity generation capacity to the grid, as well as increase electricity access by adding 60 million new homes and business connections throughout sub-Saharan Africa by 2030.
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Africa is home to the youngest population on the planet and a workforce, which is projected to surpass India and China by 2034 yet according to the International Energy Agency 68 per cent of the population, is still without power. With these projections a coordinated effort to help close power transactions, catalyze new investment and enhance regulatory environments to ensure Africa’s infrastructure can sustain the economic growth being driven by its citizens is critical.
Other initiatives include supporting utilities in Morocco, Tunisia and Algeria to drive a focus on renewable energies by incorporating Eaton’s Cooper Power series voltage regulators and control modules into their systems. Furthermore, Eaton has been actively involved in a project in the Songo River valley of Mozambique that will create a high voltage, direct current link between the Songo-area hydro dam and South Africa.
KELECHI EWUZIE
