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Chinese firm hailed for timely execution of Togo's solar project

Xinhua, August 21, 2015 Adjust font size:

Togolese authorities have expressed satisfaction with the pace at which Chinese company ZTE Corporation executed the first phase of a street lighting project that will see 13,000 solar street lamps installed, an official source told Xinhua on Thursday.

The objective of the project is to reduce public lighting bill in the West African nation.

About 7,042 solar street lamps have been installed in main cities across Togo during the first phase. The next phase which will start in September, will see 5,958 solar street lamps installed.

According to Abiyou Tcharabalo, Energy Director at the country's Energy and Mining ministry, "the project is part of Togo's strategy to enhance renewable energy use and is globally designed to reduce public lighting bills in constituencies."

He said due to rising public lighting bills, most local communities are not able to meet their liabilities.

He cited the example of Golf constituency in Lome municipality which has paid a total of 2.1 billion CFA Francs (3,635 million U.S. dollars) for public lighting bills over the period 2011-2014.

During the same period, Daye and Blitta constituencies in the interior of the country respectively paid 31 million CFA Francs and 65 million CFA Francs for public lighting bills.

The Togolese official praised ZTE Corp for the pace at which it was executing the project, noting that the work had been sub-contracted to local enterprises which are supervised by Chinese engineers from the Chinese company.

"The Chinese company will train local people in maintenance of the system so as to allow for skills transfer and guarantee sustainability of the project," Tcharabalo said.

ZTE project coordinator Qin Wei said local communities where the first phase of the project was carried out are benefiting from the solar street lamps which are likely to enhance local development.

"In some areas, small businesses have emerged at night around the solar lamp-posts, thus contributing to the creation of income generating activities and enhancement of local welfare," he said.

The project that will cost a total of 55 million U.S. dollars, was funded through a loan from Eximbank of China. The loan with a five year grace period, will be repaid in 25 years.

The Togolese solar street lighting project is the biggest and one that has received significant financing, compared to those executed by ZTE Corp in Benin, Burkina Faso, Niger, Nigeria, Djibouti and Senegal.

ZTE Corporation is a leading telecommunication equipments supplier in China. It has 15 years experience in the renewable energy sector. Endit