The government of Korea, through the Korea International Cooperation Agency (Koica), has presented new concepts of energy generation which could be integrated in the action plan of the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy (Minee) in its ongoing drive to curb energy shortfall in the country. These include hydro electricity power generation with water purification system incorporated, photovoltaic with auxiliary biodiesel engine and biomass integrated gasification fuel cell combined cycle. Korean experts who undertook the survey in the country say with this new energy generation approach, energy could be harnessed in a very environmentally friendly manner with little or no effects on fauna or flora.

A one-day workshop involving government policy makers and private operators in the energy sector as well as academics and mechanical engineers who are front liners in new technology implementation held at the Yaounde Hilton Hotel yesterday July 26. The joint Minee-Koica workshop sought to give the participants a comprehensive understanding of the technologies that make use of available natural resources so that they could be theoretically and practically armed for sound policies and programmes to address energy needs in the country.

Speaking during the ceremony, Korea's Ambassador to Cameroon, Cho June-Hyuck, said the project for the new energy technologies to meet the energy demands of Cameroon falls within the Korean government's 2013-2017 plan for African countries, of which Cameroon is priority in the Central African sub-region. "Korea has witnessed the efforts of the Cameroon government to improve the situation of energy supply in the country and it believes that with such commitment, significant results will soon be achieved. It is our utmost hope that together, we will achieve this noble goal," the Korean diplomat noted.

Sitting in for the Minister, the Secretary General of Minee, Fritz Gerard Nasako, said the workshop coming barely weeks after the holding of the second Korea-Cameroon energy forum attests to the importance Korea attaches to Cameroon's energy needs. He said besides giant hydroelectric projects, it's of utmost importance to harness new concepts of energy generation based on renewable energy so as to bridge the wide energy supply/demand gap.