Shared Future: Chinese-made solar power plant helps Eritrea get green energy

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Europe

03:05

Some African countries have yet to develop extensive electrical systems for generating power. That has been a drain on the economy of Eritrea. But it also left open an opportunity to take advantage of the newest, cleanest sources of power -- the sun. Christy Skull tells us about the project, and its connection to China-Africa cooperation.

Eritrea has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world, and its lack of electrical resources continues to have a negative impact on the country's economic development. To the east of the capital Asmara lies a photovoltaic plant built by China. Construction of this new plant began last November and ended in April of this year.

The plant covers an area of 32-thousand square meters and produces an average of 11-thousand kilowatt hours of electricity per day. Asmara now enjoys an unlimited supply of clean energy.

WANG XIAOQIANG, MANAGER ERITREA'S PHOTOVOLTAIC PLANT "Our solar photovoltaic power plant produces clean energy, does not pollute the environment. Moreover, a second investment after the construction will not be necessary, it will just take the sun, just light. With regard to this energy plant, it responds to our idea of green development."

Asmara has recently been listed on UNESCO's World cultural heritage list. But the city's infrastructure goes back to the 1930s and 40s.

And located about 24-hundred meters above the sea, Asmara enjoys a considerable advantage in terms of solar energy. The conditions of sunshine are the same as in Tibet in China.

GHERMAI BERHE ERITREA'S MUNICIPAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT "Especially in the area north of Asmara, which is poor, it suffers constant pollution. Today, the streets are illuminated. Streetlights are important for this city, especially for developing countries like Eritrea."

Apart from the solar energy project, the Chinese government has installed more than 400 solar streetlights along the road leading to the airport and in densely populated areas, covering a distance of 13 kilometers.

RESIDENT OF ASMARA "We walk here every day. They give us the light at night. And my wife, my son and I can take a walk here."

RESIDENT OF ASMARA "I enjoy the evening here. And I want to thank them for installing the streetlights to let us enjoy the evening."

YANG ZIGANG CHINESE AMBASSADOR TO ERITREA "At the China-Africa summit in Johannesburg, President Xi Jinping proposed 10 major cooperation plans, including the green development cooperation plan. Clean energy gives new impetus to the development of the Eritrean economy. With the Sino-African idea of ecological development, more positive results will be achieved."

Christy Skull, CGTN. (OUT)