2024-02-21 13:16:02
As part of their participation in the Promote fair, the head of the Public Relations division of Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) during an interview with the press on February 19, 2024, presented the achievements of the structure, as well as the objectives and future projects.
Where are you with the latest government projects regarding the EDC energy sector?
There was Memve’ele that had to be finished, we already did it. There was Lom Pangar which had to be finished, that is to say in its dam and factory components, we completed it. So, as we speak, all government projects concerning the EDC energy sector have been completed. The foot plant that was our last piece is already ok. The Eastern region today is one of the regions with fewer energy problems. It was the only region that was powered by 100% thermal power. Today the East has an entire 30 MW factory dedicated to it.
Do you think the quantity of energy produced in the Eastern region, to date, is sufficient for industries?
The energy produced by Lom Pangar will really help forest industries to set up and even other industrialists. Today we have used stable energy, meaning that we can produce at 30 MW. The current industrial and tourist need is 11 Mw. This is therefore an opportunity for large companies to establish themselves further. They have cheaper energy, it’s not just any energy, it’s hydro, the general cost of which is very low. This really allows industries to establish themselves in the Eastern region. This is why here at Promote we are showcasing the Lom Pangar plant because it is a typical model of energy production to develop a region.
What innovations is EDC offering to the public this year?
Here at Promote we value the Lom Pangar factory more. In addition there is virtual reality which allows the guys who come to visit the stand to walk around the factory, the dam being on site, many people think it is the presence of white elephants except those who have been on the ground . Many find it hard to believe that it is operational. Virtual reality allows people to experience the Lom Pangar dam themselves as if they were there, that’s all the innovations this year.
Do you have any plans for the near future?
Now we are going to move to a hydro-solar mix, that is to say the production of the dam plus the solar. EDC intends to do solar bfloating, that is to say only at the level of reservoirs as we have many dams and we have reservoirs which are estimated at thousands of kilometers. We prefer to make solar panels above the reservoirs. It’s a real hydro-solar mix because when you do solar on the water reservoirs you already have water evacuation nests that exist. It’s easier when it’s on the retainer that makes the project easier for you because there is no compensation to be made. This means that when there are, for example, periods of reduced flow like currently, when you have the photovoltaic plant above it solves the problem.
What are your goals for 2024?
The objectives are that we must launch new projects with the support of the government, partners and donors. Because in reality the demand for energy is growing by almost 10% per year. We must continue to build dams and energy infrastructure since the industrialization of the country will consume all of this. So 2024 is really about fighting to implement new projects and everything. When the hierarchy will say when the time has come it is this or that project, when the government has made all the necessary decisions.
EDC is a relatively young company. First you have to make yourself known and you have to position yourself in the sector because there are several players therefore we cannot understand the roles of each. When you come to Promote like this you meet the public directly, it gives you the opportunity to explain who you are and what you have done. The sector having several players, when there is an energy cut we do not understand why there are so many cuts with so much energy infrastructure. We have to explain to people that there are production cuts, distribution cuts, and if there are cuts it is the fault in which segment. because there is the production segment, there is a transport segment and a distribution segment. EDC is a company that has left its mark through its tangible achievements.