On Tuesday
morning, President Obama and President Kikwete of Tanzania will tour
the Symbion Power Plant at Ubungo with Symbion Power LLC Chief Executive
Officer Paul Hinks and General Electric Africa President and Chief
Executive Officer Jay Ireland III.The
Ubungo power plant represents the kind of public-private partnership we
want to replicate across Africa. The facility had shut down, but
Tanzania committed to making reforms in the energy sector, and with
support from the Millennium Challenge Corporation, General Electric, and
Symbion, it was brought back on-line. The plant now generates a net
output of 112 megawatts (MW) from 4 aero-derivative gas turbines
manufactured by General Electric. By the end of 2013, after completion
of two new investments in West Africa, Symbion will own and operate
over 1,300MW in East and West Africa. The company expects to invest at
least a further $1.8 billion in power generation and transmission in
Africa in the next 5 years.
The Ubungo Power Plant complex is also at the center of Tanzanian state electricity company TANESCO’s power transmission and distribution network. The power that TANESCO sends to Zanzibar through the new MCC-financed 100MW submarine power cable goes from Ubungo to the Tanzanian coast, where it enters the sea.
During the tour, President Obama and President Kikwete will see a demonstration of the SOCCKET ball by Unchartered Play Co-Founder and CEO Jessica Matthews and Unchartered Play Vice President Victor Angel. A SOCCKET ball is an energy generating soccer ball that harnesses the kinetic energy generated during play to provide a source of renewable, off-grid power. The ball was invented by Co-Founder Jessica Matthews, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, when she was 19 years old.
Following the tour, the President will deliver remarks to an audience composed of Symbion and GE management and workers as well as Tanzanian and US officials. President Obama will be standing in front of the LM 6000 gas turbine manufactured by GE, an adaptation of the same engines found in Boeing 747s and other aircraft.
The Ubungo Power Plant complex is also at the center of Tanzanian state electricity company TANESCO’s power transmission and distribution network. The power that TANESCO sends to Zanzibar through the new MCC-financed 100MW submarine power cable goes from Ubungo to the Tanzanian coast, where it enters the sea.
During the tour, President Obama and President Kikwete will see a demonstration of the SOCCKET ball by Unchartered Play Co-Founder and CEO Jessica Matthews and Unchartered Play Vice President Victor Angel. A SOCCKET ball is an energy generating soccer ball that harnesses the kinetic energy generated during play to provide a source of renewable, off-grid power. The ball was invented by Co-Founder Jessica Matthews, a dual citizen of Nigeria and the United States, when she was 19 years old.
Following the tour, the President will deliver remarks to an audience composed of Symbion and GE management and workers as well as Tanzanian and US officials. President Obama will be standing in front of the LM 6000 gas turbine manufactured by GE, an adaptation of the same engines found in Boeing 747s and other aircraft.
Paul Hinks, CEO Symbion Power:
"The Power Africa initiative of the United States government
addresses the chronic shortage of power in a number of African
countries including Tanzania, Liberia, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia and
NIgeria. Symbion aims to be at the forefront of Power Africa with
investments in these countries within a 5 year time frame. Today,
President Obama stressed the urgency of making these investments and of
getting projects off the ground. This
initiative enables companies like Symbion to expand their operations in
Africa and it will help move towards a more self-sufficient African
continent. The program will grow into other countries and those of us
who with the US government, are founding partners of Power Africa, are hopeful to see more serious investors join us.”
