(Business in Cameroon) - Gaston Eloundou Essomba, Cameroonian minister of water and energy (Minee), is inaugurating solar plants today in Doumaintang, East region. This is part of a partnership with Chinese Huawei Technologies ; a partnership which aims at designing and developing a project to electrify 1,000 localities with solar systems.

According to the official, thanks to the deployment of appropriate infrastructures and equipment, suitable for beneficiary localities, electricity cost dropped to XAF100 from the XAF375 with generators.

“Unlike the generator, which could only provide electricity between 6 p.m and 10 p.m, this solar grid project ensures a full time supply,” hailed Mr Essomba.

Cameroon’s current policy is to promote all energy efficiency measures mainly through energy-saving bulbs and equipment. The country also encourages good practices such as turning lights off in unoccupied rooms.

Ultimately, the project led by Huawei aims to produce an average of 32 kW of electricity in 1,000 localities across Cameroon. The total amount of funding for its first phase is USD 106 million, or CFAF 53 billion for 166 localities.

Sylvain Andzongo