Lomé, (Togo) – Togo’s Ministry of Mines and Energy said on Friday that it will installed 13,000 public streetlights in the capitals of regions and prefectures throughout the country by the end of June 2016.
The report said this was in line with the instructions of the Head of State, Faure Gnassingbé.
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Explaining progress of the street illumination project, the ministry said that the project, being financed with a loan of 55 million U.S. dollars from Exim Bank of China, entered its second and final phase mid-February.
The project which is been coordinated by the ministry, took off in 2011 with feasibility studies and it is executed by the African Society of Bio fuels and Renewable Energy (SABER).
It said that the project is in partnership with Zhongxing Telecommunication Equipment (ZTE) Company Limited of China.
The report said that the project is focused on remote locations not connected to Togo’s electricity network, adding that on its completion, street lights powered by solar energy will illuminate the capitals of regions and townships.
“7,042 streetlights were already installed at the end of the first phase adding that on the president’s instructions, streetlights are primarily installed in schools, high schools, universities, clinics, health centres, markets and finally in public places.
“The life of the battery solar street lights is from 7 to 10 years,” said Abiyou Tcharabalo, Director General of Energy at the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
He said that with solar street lights, the electric charges of the local authorities will be reduced, thus allowing these communities to reallocate their spending to other social needs.
“Togo authorities want to phase out light bulbs of 150 to 250 Watts used today for traditional street lighting.
“For Togo, this is to respect the commitment to more effective protection of the environment made during the Paris Climate Conference (COP21) at the end of last year,” Tcharabalo said. (PANA/NAN)