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Zambia must invest in development of alternative energy - Siemens

Zambia must invest in development of alternative energy - Siemens
By Misheck Wangwe in Kitwe
Wed 25 Aug. 2010, 21:30 CAT

SIEMENS Limited Automations Systems divisional manager Heiko Katheder has challenged Zambia and other developing countries to invest heavily in technology and the development of alternative energy.

Speaking after he officially opened the Automation Training Centre at Intelligent Systems Limited (ISL) in Kitwe, Katheder disclosed that the electronics company would invest about 200 million euros in various developmental activities in Africa. He said the huge chunk of the funds would go towards the development of alternative energy in various African countries.

Katheder said Siemens International had realised that many countries in Africa were left behind in the development of green energy, bio-ethanol and power plants.

“One of the biggest challenges the African continent is facing has to do with energy. Majority people sitting in Africa and the Middle East share four per cent of the water resources.

We need to improve on that by bringing clean water to people in various countries in Africa because development is all about coming up with various initiatives to create a better environment and to secure the future of children,” Katheder said.

He said Siemens’ vision on the African continent was to explore ideas of development, particularly in the field of technology.

Katheder said the company had realised that there was a big gap in the development of skills in Africa.

He said Siemens would like to see young engineers, especially those working in the mines and other electronic fields in Zambia, to be up to date with various technological advancements happening in Europe.

Katheder further said Zambia had shown good signs of social and economic development hence the need for various stakeholders and cooperating partners to help the country invest in technology which had potential to contribute to national development.

He said with the investments happening in the mining sector and other fields, the country seemed to have a great future.

Katheder said the training facility that had been put up by Intelligent Systems Limited in partnership with Siemens would contribute greatly in enhancing the capability of engineers in Zambia.

And ISL technical director Ken Simwanza said the training centre would greatly help the country to advance in technology.

He said the Zambian industry was modernising rapidly after years of using outdated manufacturing and process technologies.

Simwanza noted that local technical skill levels had not kept up with the advances in technology over the past years in the country resulting not only in inefficient use of the technologies but also in unnecessary downtime when things go wrong.

Labels: ENERGY, HEIKO KATHEDER

posted by MrK @ 11:21 PM