2013 Training Workshop on SHP Technology for Francophone African Countries Opened at HRC

   ---Entrusted by the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), HRC conduct the 2013 Training Workshop on SHP Technology for Francophone African Countries from 23 June to 19 September. Totally 20 officials and technicians from 11 francophone African countries, i.e. Benin, Burundi, Comoros, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Senegal, Togo and Tunisia, came to attend this training workshop.

   The opening ceremony of the training workshop was held on 25 June at the multi-function hall of HRC. HRC Director Ms. Cheng Xialei and Honorary Director Mr. Zhu Xiaozhang addressed at the opening ceremony respectively, extending sincere regards and warm welcome to all the participants who came all the way here for the significant event.

   In the speech of Ms. Cheng, she said: "…… the development in orderly manner of SHP and its sustainable utilization (in China) have played a very important role in reducing the greenhouse gases emission, protecting the forest and the vegetation, improving production and living conditions for rural population and contributing considerably to the rural economic and social development ……At present, the development of international hydropower industry shifts its direction from the demand-pull development aiming to solve the shortage problem of electricity in the past to the construction of clean and high quality energy with the purpose of social sustainable development. A new peak period of the renewable energy construction worldwide was launched. All of them impose the requirement for our developing countries to strengthen the international exchange and cooperation, and China would like to spare no effort to make its contribution …… In March of this year, President of the People's Republic of China Mr. Xi Jinping paid a visit to Africa and delivered a keynote speech in Tanzania, in which, it was mentioned that China would train 30,000 African professionals and 18,000 government scholarships to African students from 2013 to 2015, and increase technology transfer and experience sharing with Africa ……The training workshop kicking off today aims at providing a platform for the francophone African countries to fully discuss and communicate in the field of small hydropower development, and focusing on the exchange of updated technology and management experience ……I hope with all my heart that this training workshop will promote the in-depth communication and vast cooperation in the field of SHP development for all the participating countries. I would like to wish the training workshop a great achievement……".

   In the speech of Mr. Zhu, he said: "……there is a Chinese saying that 'teaching some one how to fish is better than giving that person some fishes'……we understand there is an African proverb that 'if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together' ……China's president Xi Jinping has said that 'China hopes Africans find their own development paths according to their own practical conditions and is happy to share our experience with African countries' ……China has made great achievements in SHP development over the past several decades which greatly promoted the rural electrification in the country and effectively improved the rural peoples' life. Rich experience has got and effective technology has been matured through repeated successful practices ……Chinese approach is only one of successful modes that could be of reference to other developing countries in some aspects ……Therefore, I'd congratulate our distinguished participants once again for the rare opportunity of involvement in the international platform for exchange of knowledge, information and experience of SHP development ……going together should be the best choice for development of renewable energy in all our developing countries in the long running ……".

   On behalf of all the participants, Mr. Idrice, Department Director, Agency of Rural Electrification and Energy of Benin, also addressed at the opening ceremony, and he said that as the supervisors of the energy sectors from the African countries, they were pleased to be invited to attend the training workshop on SHP for updating the technologies in the field of SHP. The sincere thankfulness was going to the Chinese government, the Ministry and HRC for the great contribution to Africa, especially to the development of energy in the African countries. All the participants would try their best and make good cooperation to result in the success of the training workshop and they promised that the knowledge and information been learned would be utilized for the development of their respective countries in near future.

   This training workshop is the 65th international training program conducted by HRC since its establishment, and the related divisions in HRC will make joint efforts to ensure the smooth implementation of it. (2013-08-27)