09/07/2015
Voith participation in German-African Business Summit: hydropower will play an even greater role in Africa’s power supply in the future
HEIDENHEIM/BERLIN. September 7 through 8, 2015, Berlin sees its first German-African Business Summit. Representatives of high rank from politics and business from Germany and sub-Saharan African countries gather to discuss the African continent’s potentials and chances.
Heike Bergmann, Member of the Board of Management of Voith Hydro in Heidenheim, participates as a panelist on „Future trends in Africa“ and will introduce hydropower as important renewable energy source. “Energy is the basis of Africa’s future: It makes daily life easier and it is of course also needed in all manufacturing industries in Africa. Hydropower plays an important role as renewable is key and in Africa is a huge potential”, Heike Bergmann explains.
High-ranking representatives from politics attend the summit, which has been initiated by the Southern Africa Initiative of the German Business (SAFRI): Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Foreign Minister, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier are among the participants as well as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller and SAFRI-Chairman Professor Heinz-Walter Große.
Voith looks back on long standing presence on the African continent and has own sales as well as manufacturing locations there. Currently the company has several hydropower projects underway in Africa, such as supplying electromechanical equipment to the Angolan hydroelectric project of Cambambe II, modernization of the Inga I hydropower plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the modernization of Mount Coffee hydropower plant in Liberia.
The African continent holds remarkable potential in hydropower: 435 gigawatts are estimated to be technically feasible, but of this only 26 gigawatts are harnessed so far.
About the Company
Voith sets standards in the markets energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 39,000 people, generates € 5.3 billion in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is today one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.
The Importance of Hydropower
Hydropower is the largest, oldest and also most reliable form of renewable energy generation. Worldwide it makes an indispensable contribution to stable power supplies and hence to economic and social development – both in industrial countries and in emerging markets. At the same time, hydropower significantly contributes to climate-protecting energy generation. Voith has been a leading supplier of this technology since the early beginning, and continuously develops it further.
High-ranking representatives from politics attend the summit, which has been initiated by the Southern Africa Initiative of the German Business (SAFRI): Germany’s Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Sigmar Gabriel, Federal Foreign Minister, Dr. Frank-Walter Steinmeier are among the participants as well as Federal Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development, Dr. Gerd Müller and SAFRI-Chairman Professor Heinz-Walter Große.
Voith looks back on long standing presence on the African continent and has own sales as well as manufacturing locations there. Currently the company has several hydropower projects underway in Africa, such as supplying electromechanical equipment to the Angolan hydroelectric project of Cambambe II, modernization of the Inga I hydropower plant in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as the modernization of Mount Coffee hydropower plant in Liberia.
The African continent holds remarkable potential in hydropower: 435 gigawatts are estimated to be technically feasible, but of this only 26 gigawatts are harnessed so far.
About the Company
Voith sets standards in the markets energy, oil & gas, paper, raw materials and transport & automotive. Founded in 1867, Voith employs more than 39,000 people, generates € 5.3 billion in sales, operates in about 50 countries around the world and is today one of the largest family-owned companies in Europe.
The Importance of Hydropower
Hydropower is the largest, oldest and also most reliable form of renewable energy generation. Worldwide it makes an indispensable contribution to stable power supplies and hence to economic and social development – both in industrial countries and in emerging markets. At the same time, hydropower significantly contributes to climate-protecting energy generation. Voith has been a leading supplier of this technology since the early beginning, and continuously develops it further.