Cameroon’s ENEO CEO Says iPAD Cameroon Was "a Great Platform for Dialogue and Discussions"

Yaounde, Cameroon, December 19, 2015 --(PR.com)-- “The iPAD Cameroon Energy & Infrastructure Forum proved to be a great platform for dialogue and discussions between the various actors in our sector,” says Mr Joel Nana Kontchou, CEO of ENEO Cameroon, the country's state utility. He adds: “I had some very interesting meetings with very serious partners and investors.”

The recent launch of the iPAD Cameroon Energy & Infrastructure Forum in Yaoundé in December attracted more than 150 attendees from 12 countries and received high-level support from the government, including the opening keynote address by the Minister of Energy and Water Resources, H.E. Basile Atangana Kouna.

Elodie Delagneau, iPAD Cameroon event director, says, “Cameroon is truly emerging as the next power investment destination in Central Africa. The impressive interest shown by the Cameroon authorities shows the vision and commitment of the country’s energy stakeholders. As CEO of ENEO, Mr Kontchou made time for all the prospective investors and vendors who were at the event. We look forward to growing this event the way we have done with other iPAD Forums in countries such as Nigeria, DRC and Rwanda.”

Energy development fuel for development
Following iPAD Cameroon, ENEO CEO Mr Joel Nana Kontchou said energy development was paramount in reaching Cameroon’s 2035 Vision goals: “energy development is the fuel for the overall development of the country. The Cameroon 2035 Vision should result in the transformation of more resources, raising the living standards and comfort of citizens who will need more energy. This vision is driven by major projects that will need energy especially in industry and infrastructure.”

He explains the many investment opportunities in the country’s energy sector: “If we consider only the natural demand growth trend, for the next five years alone, the country needs between 800 and 1000 MW. And if we project even further by integrating the possibilities of interconnection with neighbouring countries, the range of investment opportunities for investors becomes even broader. This is also true for fossil fuels and renewable energies as investors have many reasons to invest in the electricity sector in Cameroon. There is the possibility of producing electrical equipment and materials locally.”

“We want to think big but start small”
The ENEO CEO’s vision for renewable energy in Cameroon: “our approach is to develop practical and simple ideas; we want to think big but start small with things that work. We are thinking about projects like the mini hydro, solar which we would like to add 5% to the mix, and biomass too. The country has abundant potential in this area. It is therefore natural for us to consider the establishment of a renewable energy industry, which will be a key driver to significantly increase electrification of rural areas.”

Official and industry support
Not only did iPAD Cameroon Energy & Infrastructure Forum enjoy the official support of the Cameroon Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, Globeleq, a successful private investor in the country’s power sector, shared its best practice experience during the event. Other well-known industry supporters were Aggreko, Altaaqa Global, Siemens, Clarke Energy, BG SolarHydro, Ernst & Young, GeoSUN, KMPG, Ndoto, Sicame, Standard Chartered Bank, Steg IS and Voith.

The iPAD event series is organised by Spintelligent, leading Cape Town-based trade exhibition and conference organiser, and the African office of Clarion Events Ltd, based in the UK.

iPAD Cameroon dates and location for 2016:
Conference: 10-11 November 2016
Location: Yaoundé, Cameroon