SUSTAINABILITY AFRICA: GROUPE FILATEX
"WE KNOW HOW TO DO IT IN MADAGASCAR. THERE IS NO REASON WHY WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT IN OTHER AFRICAN COUNTRIES." partnered with Dera Energy to install 170 MW of solar capacity in Madagascar.Together, the two partners planned to build hybrid power plants, fixed solar power plants, and mobile power plants. These solar power projects are planned to be set up in the localities of Tamatave, Tulear, Diego, Majenga, Nosy Be, and Antananarivo. In August 2020, the company also partnered with Bboxx to extend the clean-energy platform's services to Madagascar.
EXPANDING BEYOND MADAGASCAR Yavarhoussen believes that his company has the ability to replicate its success in Madagascar in other African countries where electricity demand still exceeds supply. "We know how to do it in Madagascar. There is no reason why we would not be able to do it in other African countries," Hasnaine affirms. The company has 56 AFRICA CEO VOICES
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already announced multiple projects that will expand its services to other African countries, including Côte d'Ivoire, Guinea, and Ghana. The Côte d'Ivoire project began in 2021 and generates 66MW of solar energy. This project contributes to the national plan to install 424 MW of solar power by 2030. Meanwhile, in Ghana, expansion plans have been delayed as onsite technical studies were not possible. Out of the continent, Filatex has also diversified its risks by investing in a hydro-power project in Albania. Planning ahead, Yavarhoussen tells us that the focus now is on completing the projects in progress. "In 2023, I will be continuing the projects we started last year,” he says. The company will also be looking to install new solar panels as they are “the key to development.” To grow the economy of Madagascar and other African countries, Hasnaine says that clean and affordable energy source is key as almost all sectors of the economy rely on energy. “Without access to cheap electricity, we can't do anything. We can't make some new factories. We can't do any project," he points out. With the many challenges from finance to infrastructure to poor economies of many African countries, Hasnaine is undeterred in his goal to affordably power Madagascar and the rest of Africa. "We need to keep going on and we have to be very motivated and patient and continue our war in order to get those projects done."
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