- Increase capacity by up to 300MW by 2019 through short, medium and long-term initiatives
- Partner with TSK to investigate options to improve efficiency, operation and sustainability of the electricity sector
- Commit to local training and job opportunities to create additional benefits for society
29 September 2017, Johannesburg, South Africa — Siemens (www.Siemens.com) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Republic of Madagascar to cooperate and identify measures to fast-track power generation in the country and work towards increasing capacity by an additional 300MW by 2019.
The agreement was signed together with project partners TSK (http://APO.af/yMNsZQ) and in the presence of Günter Nooke, the German Chancellor’s Personal Representative for Africa and the German ambassador to Madagascar, Harald Gehrig, in the Ministry of Water, Energy and Hydrocarbons.
Other key aspects of the agreement include an assessment of the electrical grid based on the new power generation sources; applying financing concepts that will ensure the long-term sustainability of these infrastructure initiatives; and creating opportunities for local upskilling and job creation during construction and operation.
Currently, Madagascar has 676MW of installed generation capacity and it is estimated that access to electricity is around 20%. Opportunities exist to increase the installed capacity through hydropower and explore oil reserves to meet the targets set by the government.
“The primary goal of this agreement is to increase national power generating capacity and to connect the local population to the power grid. A reliable and extensive power supply system is the fundamental prerequisite for economic growth, says Sabine Dall’Omo, Siemens CEO for Southern and Eastern Africa.
“Siemens wants to support the sustainable development of Madagascar,” says Dall’Omo. “We are a company that invests for the long-term, and the opportunity for industrialization in Africa is now. With the right partner, Africa’s economies can develop to their full potential.”
“Improving the country’s energy mix will strengthen the well-established agriculture and mining industry and emerging tourism, textile industries,” adds Dall’Omo.
One of the short-term initiatives is the installation of a Siemens 44-megawatt aero-derivative gas turbine (SGT-A45) for mobile power generation in Antananarivo. This unit is packaged for rapid deployment and can be installed in less than two weeks. It is particularly beneficial for urgent power needs or in regions with less developed infrastructure making it ideal for Madagascar.
Siemens promotes economic growth in Africa through far-reaching initiatives in the fields of Power, Transportation, Manufacturing and partners with customers to realize the full potential that Digitalization brings to these industries.
Siemens AG
Siemens AG (www.Siemens.com) (Berlin and Munich) is a global technology powerhouse that has stood for engineering excellence, innovation, quality, reliability and internationality for more than 165 years. The company is active in more than 200 countries, focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of efficient power generation and power transmission solutions and a pioneer in infrastructure solutions as well as automation, drive and software solutions for industry. The company is also a leading provider of medical imaging equipment – such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging systems – and a leader in laboratory diagnostics as well as clinical IT. In fiscal 2016, which ended on September 30, 2016, Siemens generated revenue of €79.6 billion and net income of €5.6 billion. At the end of September 2016, the company had around 351,000 employees worldwide.
