Renewable Energy:Research Strides in Unearthing Hidden Potentials

 Godlove BAINKONG, Lhasa City, Tibet Province, South China National- Economie

China has optimized use of solar, wind, biogas energy sources to power her economy, a path Cameroon could follow to journey out of darkness.

In her drive to diversify energy generation sources absolutely needed to continually power the growing economy to boom, the People’s Republic of China has put renewable energy at the fore and research in the field as a pillar. All provinces have comprehensive power generation schemes (maximizing all energy potentials) with research and development marshalling them as the country; one of the highest polluters in the world, seeks to largely go green. The country doesn’t want to let go a fraction of her leading 199 GW potential in renewable energy (Global Status Report on Renewable Energy 2016).

One of the areas where research and development are yielding great fruit in renewable energy generation is Tibet’s Autonomous Province.  Through Tibet New Energy Research and Development Centre based in her “Sunlight City,” in the capital Lhasa, the province of 3.2 million people boasts of an  over 2.3 million KW of installed energy capacity, large enough to meet local demand and those of the environs. Cameroon with a population of over 23 million barely has an installed energy capacity of over 1,300 MW. Tibet’s research centre carries out studies to detect demonstration, application and promotion of solar, wind and biogas energy resources that it has aplenty. So far, the centre via its programmes is leading the green energy technologies and promoting economic development in the sun. 

The Tibet’s example is just one among many that the Chinese government has adopted to ensure constant, affordable and increasing clean energy and give the economy the needed boost. In the country’s capital Beijing for example, it is the China Guodian Corporation, one of the five power groups of the central government, that as at 2015 controlled an installed energy generation capacity of 135 GW, total assets of 784 billion Yuan and coal reserve of 15 billion tons with an annual output of 62 million tons. Peculiar about these companies is the fact that they have an all-encompassing policy of maximizing energy generation sources. This provides diversity and guarantees sustainability of quality and constant energy supply.

Cameroon and other Africa countries without doubt can evolve were they to adapt China’s energy generation strategies to their systems. As China continually researches on how to generate more energy through their God-given and human-adapted potentials, transporting the produce to households and industries is also given due consideration. Well adapted transformers are installed and electricity distribution poles (not wooden here) are spread across the entire country. Energy efficiency which guards against wastes is also recommended and strictly followed up in public and private buildings.

From north to south and east to west, Cameroon is greatly endowed with renewable energy potentials. Developing hydroelectricity sources as government is doing through the construction of giant dams is good. Maximizing the use of other sources is better not only for energy generation but equally for environmental safety given the damaging effects of fast expanding global warming for which Cameroon and Africa are not exempted.