Oslo – Ouagadougou, December 17th, 2012
Scatec Solar, the global developer and turn-key supplier of solar PV (photovoltaic) solutions, experienced great interest for its PV solutions at the first International Solar Energy Conference in Africa which was staged in Ouagadougou, the capital city of Burkina Faso, from 13th to 16th of December. Centered around the main theme “Solar energy: Issues, potentials and constraints for Africa”, the conference brought together over 300 participants from 24 different countries who took part in the exchange of nearly 40 papers divided into seven thematic sessions and three roundtable discussions.
The event was organized by the Burkina Faso Ministry in charge of Energy in collaboration with the International Institute of Engineering (2iE) in Ouagadougou and the National Institute of solar Energy (INES) in Chambery France.
Speaking at the opening session, the Burkinabe Minister in charge of Energy, Salif Kabore Lamoussa, said the challenges of energy security and the fight against climate change requires immediate changes in the energy structure Africa. From there, he said, it is necessary to find adequate ways and means to make a transition to a sustainable energy system based on renewable energy.
Scatec Solar played an active role in the conference bringing experience from its numerous PV projects around the world. The company has entered into an agreement with The World Bank affiliate, IFC, to develop solar energy projects In Central- and West Africa and hence, could provide firsthand knowledge on how to mobilize the private sector to realize renewable energy projects in the region, one of the main themes of the conference. In addition to a stand at the exhibition, Terje Osmundsen, Senior Vice President for Strategic Projects gave a speech on competitive solar energy solutions for West Africa. His colleague Paul-Francois Gauvin, General Manager Scatec Solar France, participated in the Round-Table discussion on financing.
– The sharp decline in solar module prices of the last years has now made solar energy competitive with other sources of electricity, and African nations experiencing growing demand should benefit from the opportunities solar energy provides, Terje Osmundsen said.
Scatec Solar is currently constructing its first solar PV project in South Africa, a 75 MW solar farm in the Northern Cape region. The company has also been granted “preferred bidder status” for two more projects under the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Program in South Africa. More about Scatec Solar on our homepage www.scatec.com
Contact:
Mr. Terje Osmundsen, Mr. Sven Rost, VP Communications, tel: +47 932 53 196, sven.rost@scatec.no