A meeting of Euro-African Energy begins today

The sixth joint meeting of experts on the EU-Africa Partnership for Energy (PAEE), starts today in Port-Louis on the initiative of the Mauritian Ministry of Energy and Public Utilities, the European Union (EU) and African Union Commission (AUC). This three-day meeting aims to finalize an action plan to supply electricity to about 250 million Africans by 2020. Participants are Algeria, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Egypt, Ghana, Togo, Uganda, South Africa, Mali and Mauritius.

The objectives are to increase EU investment in African infrastructure and energy interconnections. 

The PAEE also intends to promote renewable energy, energy efficiency and better management of energy resources. 

The Mauritian official recalled that many countries on both continents depend on imported oil, gas, biomass and electricity and must import at least one component of their energy mix. 

"The lack of energy infrastructure and poor access to electricity, fuels for transport and cooking fuels remains a major obstacle to sustainable development in Africa," he added.