Minister urges SADC to utilise solar energy

Minister urges SADC to utilise solar energy

By Ian Soko, The Daily Times - Malawi

Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries should utilise solar energy in order to generate electricity, Deputy Minister of Education, Science and Technology Otria Moyo Jere appealed yesterday.

She was speaking in Lilongwe during the official launch of a three-day international solar energy research symposium.

"SADC countries have an average of 20 mega joules per square-metre each day of solar installation which is enough for generation of electricity using solar panels. Therefore, we need to utilise this important resource," Jere said.

The seminar has been organised by the Coordination and Advancement of Sub-Saharan Africa-EU Science and Technology Cooperation (CAAST-Net), Sadc Secretariat responsible for the science and technological sector, and the Department of Science and Technology in Malawi.

Jere said government has removed surtax on all renewable energy technologies to make these technologies affordable.

She also said Malawi is implementing a village community solar wind project throughout the country in order to increase access to modern energy services in the rural communities. CAAST-Net representative Martin Wienecke said the symposium would bring knowledge among the participants.

"We brought these groups to exchange understanding. We agreed to come with the topic on renewable energy based on two objectives. The first objective is to share information and the second one is to stimulate partnership," Wienecke said.

Deputy Head of European Delegation at the seminar, Horst Pilger, said energy is of high priority in Africa especially in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Pilger went on to advocate that Malawi needs to "liberalise" the energy sector to meet high demand for power.

The symposium is aimed at advancing mutual understanding of renewable and solar energy research and their supporting policy frameworks in Europe and Sadc.

Before officially opening the symposium , Jere was taken through an exhibition of Malawian companies on solar and renewable energy.

Article published in The Daily Times, Malawi - 21 September 2011