STORY: Global energy body GEIDCO outlines projects for Africa
DATELINE: June 9, 2023
LENGTH: 00:01:19
LOCATION: Lilongwe
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the meeting
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IBRAHIM MATOLA, Energy Minister of Malawi
3. various of the meeting
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHENG ZHIQIANG, GEIDCO's Chief Cooperation Officer
5. various of the meeting

STORYLINE:

The Global Energy Interconnection Development and Cooperation Organization (GEIDCO), a Beijing-based organization promoting sustainable energy development worldwide, has laid out its proposed energy interconnection pattern for Africa.
   
GEIDCO Director of Planning Division, Economic and Research Institute Song Fulong on Tuesday outlined the organization's proposals during the 57th Annual Meeting for the Association of Power Utilities of Africa underway in the Malawian capital of Lilongwe.
   
According to Song's presentation titled "Research and Outlook on African Energy Interconnection," GEIDCO plans to build three synchronous grids in Africa, and to achieve cross-regional interconnection through ultra-high-voltage lines.
   
GEIDCO's proposal also intends to realize Europe-Asia Cross-Continental Interconnection by building three power transmission channels across the Mediterranean to collect hydropower and solar energy from Africa and deliver it to Europe.
   
GEIDCO intends to develop an Africa-West Asia power interconnection channel to realize optimal allocation of clean energy on a large scale.
   
Africa has "more than sufficient" clean energy resources to meet the demand for energy and power development and that, based on the resource potential, as well as supply and demand locations, GEIDCO proposed to develop large-scale hydropower bases on the Congo River, the Nile River, as well as the Zambezi River, the organization said.
   
"To secure funds for the large-scale power projects development, GEIDCO also proposed the business model of the co-development of electricity, mining, metallurgy, manufacturing and trade," it said.
   
SOUNDBITE 1 (English): IBRAHIM MATOLA, Energy Minister of Malawi
"Engineers should be meeting and share knowledge, experience and expertise to one another. We need to have more of these meetings and follow-ups so that as nations, we can benefit, the pattern can be passed from this generation to the next generation."

GEIDCO's Chief Cooperation Officer Cheng Zhiqiang told Xinhua that his organization is committed to promoting clean and sustainable development for Africa, among other regions.

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): CHENG ZHIQIANG, GEIDCO's Chief Cooperation Officer
"We support the African Union's 2063 Agenda for the energy transition to promote the development of clean energy in Africa."
   
Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Lilongwe.
(XHTV)