Specialised in renewable energy, the factory will produce solar and wind panels that will generate power, and light bulbs, according to the French investor, Serge Miltcheff just after signing a convention for the training of engineers between his company, Société camerounaise d’énergies and the National Polytechnic (ENSP) in Yaoundé on Friday September 6, 2013.
Starting off in November 2013, the factory will employ 250 people. About 174 million francs CFA (1.5 million euros) will be invested here.
Aware that the country lacks engineers in the field of renewable energy, the company signed the convention to give bonus training to engineers in the field of electronics or electrotechnics for a year.
ENSP will now train engineers in renewable energy, and according to the Minister of Higher Education, Jacques Fame Ndongo it is an “invaluable” push to the Cameroon university system.
Société camerounaise d’énergies says bulbs, from the factory will have a live span of 45,000 hours, cost less and will consume less energy. In Cameroon bulbs cost from 600 to 2,000 francs CFA and blow out in less than six months.
“Bulbs of 60 watts will be replaced by those of 8Wh with the same lighting capacity,” the Minister of Small and Medium Size Enterprises, Laurent Serge Etoundi Ngoa said at the signing ceremony.
This investment is seen as fallouts of the Head of State’s visit to France last January where he met with the cartel of French business persons (MEDEF).