Wilfred Enow Agbor
Yaounde, Cameroon
In the days ahead, solar energy will be the principal source of energy to brighten the Soa- Ngousso highway. The materials for the project have been donated by the Chinese Government to the Government of Cameroon. The six months project which started last June will be completed in December 2013. The project aims to ensure the safety and security of the students of the University of Yaoundé II and the inhabitants of Soa, and it will cost 1.5 billion francs CFA.
The Soa region has a cosmopolitan population that needs to be protected. To this effect, over 340 metal poles with solar panels, batteries and bulbs are being implanted by
Solar energy brightens the Soa-Ngousso highway
Shijiazhuang Materials Industry Group Co.Ltd . The installation of the poles begins from the University of Yaoundé II campus through the Soa highway to the Ngousso neighborhood.
Every pole has an independent lighting system from the other. For the bulbs to light, the solar panel at the top of each pole will absorb energy from the sun which will then be transmitted to a battery, which will further be converted into energy sufficient enough to light the bulbs. In this case, a problem faced by one pole does not affect the other.
According to SHAOLEI JU (Eddy), Assistant General Manager of Solar King, apart from minor repairs like changing the battery or a cable when need arises, each pole has about 50 years of life span. It would cost over 3 million francs CFA for an individual in need of a complete pole for personal use. Eddy, therefore, advises Cameroonians to protect the light which has been installed for their safety and security.
The solar project brings much happiness to Marcello, a worker with the company. He thanks the Chinese government for such a donation and calls for other countries to assist Cameroon to attain her 2035 millennium goal.
Another worker, Megous Nang Martial, is happy to have discovered new technology like how to mount a solar panel, attach a battery to it and get it connected to solar bulbs.
Workers mount solar energy pole on the Soa-Ngousso highway as pedestrians watch
Workers install solar energy pole
