CAPE TOWN - Siemens signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Madagascar to cooperate and identify measures to fast track power generation in the country and work towards increasing capacity by an additional 300MW by 2019.
The agreement was signed together with project partners TSK and in the presence of Günter Nooke, the German Chancellor’s Personal Representative for Africa and the German ambassador to Madagascar, Harald Gehrig, in the Ministry of Water, Energy and Hydrocarbons.
Currently, Madagascar has 676MW of installed generation capacity and it is estimated that access to electricity is around 20%.
Opportunities exist to increase the installed capacity through hydropower and explore oil reserves to meet the targets set by government.
“The primary goal of this agreement is to increase national power generating capacity and to connect the local population to the power grid. A reliable and extensive power supply system is the fundamental prerequisite for economic growth, says Sabine Dall’Omo, Siemens CEO for Southern and Eastern Africa.
“Improving the country’s energy mix will strengthen the well-established agriculture and mining industry and emerging tourism, textile industries,” adds Dall’Omo.
One of the short-term initiatives is the installation of a Siemens 44-megawatt aero-derivative gas turbine (SGT-A45) for mobile power generation in Antananarivo.
This unit is packaged for rapid deployment and can be installed in less than two weeks. It is particularly beneficial for urgent power needs or in regions with less developed infrastructure making it ideal for Madagascar.
Other key aspects of the agreement include an assessment of the electrical grid based on the new power generation sources; applying financing concepts that will ensure the long-term sustainability of these infrastructure initiatives.
The agreement is also creating opportunities for local upskilling and job creation during construction and operation.