China's manufacturing strength facilitates Africa's green transition: Madagascarian minister

VICTORIA FALLS, Zimbabwe, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- China's robust manufacturing capacity in renewable energy helps accelerate African countries' transition to green energy, Madagascar's Minister of Energy and Hydrocarbons Ny Ando Ralitera has said.

Speaking to Xinhua on Thursday on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Sustainable Energy Week in Zimbabwe's resort city of Victoria Falls, Ralitera said China's cost-friendly equipment and advanced development experience in clean energy offer valuable support for Africa.

"China is one of the world leaders in the use of clean energy, in the use of solar photovoltaics, so we are learning how they are doing it," he said.

According to the minister, Madagascar is working closely with China "in terms of electricity and power generation."

"For instance, we are using bifacial solar photovoltaic panels just to reduce the use of land, and apart from that, we are sending our technicians to China to learn the technology and to replicate it in Madagascar," he added.

Moreover, China's massive industrial scale has brought down the cost of solar technology, further promoting the adoption of renewable energy, he noted.

"One of the advantages of China is that it is a direct manufacturer. We can have a product of the latest tech generation at an affordable price," Ralitera said.

Running from Feb. 23 to 27, the SADC Sustainable Energy Week brought together around 500 stakeholders, including regional institutions, government agencies, private sector players, and academia, to discuss key issues in the sustainable energy sector. ■