HARARE, March 1 (Xinhua) -- As Southern African Development Community (SADC) member states seek to bolster energy security, forging partnerships with China, a global leader in green energy deployment, remains crucial, senior officials have said.
Addressing the SADC Sustainable Energy Week recently held in Zimbabwe, SADC Executive Secretary Elias Magosi noted the region's energy deficiency, saying energy security and universal access remain fundamental enablers of regional integration, industrialization, and sustainable economic growth.
Magosi said coal-fired plants still dominate the region's installed electricity capacity, accounting for 59 percent of generation, while hydropower contributes 24 percent.
With about 56 percent of the population having access to electricity, Magosi stressed the need to explore a broad range of technologies to boost energy security and sustainability.
Kudakwashe Ndhlukula, executive director of the SADC Center for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency, told Xinhua during the energy week that Chinese entities, with advanced renewable energy technologies, play a pivotal role in driving the region's green energy transition through investment.
He added the energy-insecure region should leverage China's extensive expertise, technology, and financing to accelerate its clean energy transition.
Speaking to Xinhua on the sidelines of the energy week, Madagascar's Minister of Energy and Hydrocarbons, Ny Ando Ralitera, said the country is learning from China to promote the sustainable adoption of solar energy. He added that China's industrial scale helps lower the cost of solar technologies, thereby encouraging wider uptake of renewable energy.
"One of the advantages of China is that it is a direct manufacturer. We can have a product of the latest tech generation at an affordable price. In terms of electricity and power generation, we are working closely with China," he noted.
In Zimbabwe, the adoption of renewable energy is taking center stage, driven by the need to bridge an electricity supply gap.
Victor Utedzi, chief executive officer of Centragrid, a Zimbabwean independent power producer that operates a photovoltaic power plant in Mashonaland West Province, noted that China continues to be an important partner to Zimbabwe in plugging the energy shortfall.
"All that large scale projects in the renewable space, particularly solar, we have got Chinese partners in equipment supplies, financing, and construction. So we continue to count on our Chinese partners to support us in the development of these large-scale solar power projects," Utedzi said. ■