China-aided solar energy demonstration village project in Mali brings light to the local area
Jun 12,2023 | Daxtromn power
Xinhua News Agency, Dakar, June 9 Newsletter: China-aided solar energy demonstration village project in Mali brings light to the local area
Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Zizheng
"We no longer have to worry about drinking water and electricity. Thank you Chinese friends for helping us build power stations, install electric lights, and dig water wells." Seeing the newly built street lights and water towers in the village, Jean Doubia, head of Marico Niubla Village Can't hide the excitement and joy in my heart.
Recently, the China-aided Mali solar energy demonstration village project undertaken by China Geo-Engineering Group Co., Ltd. passed the completion acceptance in the villages of Marico Nubura and Karang. A total of 1,195 sets of off-grid solar household systems, 200 sets of solar street lighting systems, 17 sets of solar water pump systems, and 2 sets of centralized solar power supply systems were installed in the project, directly benefiting tens of thousands of local people.
As one of the least developed countries in the world, Mali, a West African country, has a shortage of power resources, and the rural electricity access rate is less than 20%. The village of Cornubura is located in the southeast of Bamako, the capital of Mali. The infrastructure in the village is backward and there is almost no electricity supply.
"In the past, our village had no electricity, and there was often a lack of water in the dry season. Everyone's life was very inconvenient. We have always been eager to live a modern life as soon as possible." Jean Doubia, a villager in Konubura Village, said.
Project employee Pan Zhaoli said: "When we first came, most of the villagers still lived the traditional life of slash-and-burn farming. At night, the village was dark and quiet, and almost no one came out to walk around."
In April this year, the solar energy demonstration village project was completed in two villages, and the project passed the completion inspection in early May, bringing light and hope to the local villagers.
After the completion of the project, street lights were provided in the dark village at night, and villagers began to use solar automatic pumping water towers for free. "Without China's generous assistance, we can't imagine when we can equip our homes with such advanced new energy equipment." Villager Diop said, "Now the water supply and power supply systems are automatically operated, and free and convenient water and electricity can be used at any time. It's just so convenient."
Yamdu Keita, the elderly head of Karang Village, said emotionally at the villagers' symposium: "Everyone of us must cherish the gift of sincerity from China, and every household must use and maintain photovoltaic equipment carefully, so that The friendship between Malaysia and China has blossomed here."
According to reports, the project is another practical measure of China's aid to promote clean energy and share green development experience in the field of people's livelihood. Zhao Yongqing, project manager of the solar energy demonstration village, has been working in Africa for more than ten years. He said: "The solar photovoltaic demonstration project, which is small, beautiful, beneficial to people's livelihood, and has quick results, not only meets the actual needs of improving rural supporting facilities in Mali, but also conforms to the long-term longing for a happy life of local people."
Suleiman Belt, Director of the Mali Renewable Energy Agency, said that advanced photovoltaic technology is crucial to Mali's response to climate change and improvement of rural people's livelihood. "The China-aided solar energy demonstration village project in Mali is a very meaningful practice of applying photovoltaic technology to improve people's livelihood in remote and backward areas."
Source: Xinhuanet