Actualités of Thursday, 17 September 2015

Source: cameroon-info.net

ENEO involved in environmental pollution

Eneo hydro plant Eneo hydro plant

Energy of Cameroon (ENEO) has released its report of activities for 2014. AES Sonel's successor has for the first time made 2.2 billion F in profits against losses estimated in 2013 of over 405 million francs.

A performance which makes the operator liable to pay "the tariff compensation of 17.5 billion CFA francs granted by the government due to the freezing of electricity prices in the country. Demand also increased by 7.5% compared to the previous year, says Joel Nana Kontchou (Dg)" as mentioned by the magazine Jeune Afrique.

This performance is far from being the reason why The Daily Economy (LQE) devoted an article on the audit report. The newspaper was more interested in a product which ENEO confessed of using. The Polyvinyl biphenyl or BPC.

Based on a research on chemical substances, a Canadian chemicals management group indicated that the LQE product is carcinogenic.

"BPCs are very persistent in the environment and living tissue. The most obvious signs of environmental harm caused by BPCs are found in aquatic ecosystems, as well as in species that eat primarily aquatic organisms."

Despite the difficulty in knowing the exact health consequences, the Chemicals Group says "the majority of knowledge about the health risks of short-term exposure to BPCs is based on observations of people who were briefly exposed to high levels of it following accidents or professional activities."

One thing is certain, the BPCs are dangerous to health. The product is also banned in some countries such as France. In Cameroon, ENEO makes use of this product as "additive coolants for transformer oils," says LQE.