Meeting of the Scientific Committee ……………………………..1-2Mission of the Secretary General ………………...……………..2-3News of Members..…………………..……………………… ... …3-4A Glance at the Staff………..…………….……………………..…4-5UPDEA and its Partners …………………………………………… 5Free Expression……………………………………………………….5Next Meetings …………………..…………………………………… 6

MEETING OF THE SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE

I. Opening ceremony

The 3rd meeting of the UPDEA Scientific Committee was held in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, from 02 to 05 April, 2007. The opening ceremony was chaired by the Minister for Mines and Energy of Côte d’Ivoire, Mr. Leon MONNET.

In his speech, the Minister thanked on behalf of the President of the Republic, UPDEA for its decision to hold a similar meeting in March 2004, despite the intensity of the socio-political conflict. Mr. Leon MONNET also underlined the relevance of the theme of the next UPDEA congress scheduled in 2008, in Nairobi - Kenya on "the good governance of the national electric sectors, key factor of the realization of access to electricity for all the peoples of Africa".

Opening Ceremony

The speech of Minister MONNET was preceded by the intervention by Mr. J.N. NG' ANGA, Deputy Managing Director of KenGen, who

represented M.E.NJOROGE, Managing Director of KenGen and 1st

Vice-president of UPDEA. Mr. J.N. NG' ANGA spoke about the importance good governance, which will bring about an effective, transparent and responsible management of the rare resources, in our utilities.The Secretary General of UPDEA, Mr. Herman MUTIMA, who spoke before Mr. NG' ANGA, thanked, on behalf of the President of the UPDEA and on his personal behalf, the Minister for Mines and Energy for his presence at the opening of this meeting. He alsothanked the power sector of Côte d’Ivoire (SOGEPE, SOPIE, CIE, AZITO, CIPREL, ANARE) for their support in the organization of this event. Mr. MUTIMA then invited the participants to give the best out of themselves for the success of the meeting. He also asked the experts to accelerate their proceedings regarding the preparation of the next congress of UPDEA which will be held in Nairobi.

II. The presentations

The presentations focused on different themes, namely:

II.1 The first presentation, relating to regulation and good governance, had the following theme: "the Contribution of regulation to good governance of the power sector in Africa". This presentation was made by Professor BENIE ASSIE, CEO of ANARE (the National Agency of Regulation of Côte d’Ivoire). Good governance being based on rigour in the management of the utilities, regulation is one of the best assessment instruments of good governance by regulation, monitoring, assistance, consumer advice and protection.

II. 2 The second presentation, by Mr. MUTIMA, referred to the status of progress of the major UPDEA initiatives, which theme was "Overview on the main UPDEA initiatives ". The talk focussed on 5 areas:

* The Databank of the African power sector

* The African Fund for the Development of Rural Electrification (FADER) * The African Electrotechnical commission for Standardization (AFSEC)

* The Pilot Program of crossborder electrification

* Systematic training of the staff of the UPDEA member utilities by using the training centres available within some member utilities.

II. 3 The third presentation relating to the contribution of an affiliated member, which theme was: "Prevention of explosion and fire of transformers: the TP system (Transformer Protector) SERGI France." This presentation was chaired by Mr. MUTIMA and was presented by Mr. DA SILVA RUI Antonio, from SERGI-France. The presenter described the TP system and used actual cases of fire which occurred in the hydroelectric power station of ITAIPOU in Brazil. The cost of a TP system for a transformer of 20 MVA is approximately 25 thousand Euros, in February 2007.

Making electricity available for all the people of Africa

UPDEA INFORMATIONMarch-April 2007 N° UI 03-04/2007

CONTENT

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III. Preparation of the 16th Congress of UPDEA

The Study Committees proposed several sub-themes for the 16th Congress which will be held in Nairobi - Kenya, in 2008. The following theme was chosen for the Round Table: "The Impact of the African political powers on the realization of the projects in the power sector".

IV. The Proceedings of the Study Commitee

Each study committee reviewed its activities and also proposed topics for the next Congress in Nairobi.

Study Committee « Rural Electrification »

V. Closing Ceremony

The Closing ceremony took place on Thursday April 05 at Hotel Ivoire. The Minister for Mines and Energy of Cote d’Ivoire was represented to this ceremony by the Director of Energy, Mr. Simon EDDY. This latter congratulated the delegates for the work achieved in a so short period of time and finished its speech by wishing a good return to all the participants.

Closing Ceremony

Before this intervention, M.J.N. NG' ANGA, who represented the President of the Scientific Committee, also congratulated the delegates for their work and urged them to keep a very good communication in their study committees in order to achieve the major goal that is, "the good governance of national electric sectors, key factor of the realization of access to electricity for all the peoples of Africa".

At the end, a vote of thanks and a special vote of thanks were presented to the Political and Official Authorities of Cote d’Ivoire as well as to the leaders of the power sector in Cote d’Ivoire (SOGEPE, SOPIE, CIE, AZITO, CIPREL, ANARE).

MISSION OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL IN APRIL 2007

In April 2007, the Secretary General Eng. MUTIMA SAKRINI Herman carried out missions in France, Belgium and Germany.

I FRANCE

From 10th to 11th April 2007, in France, the Secretary General took part in the meeting of MEDELEC. The proceedings were organised as follow:

- April 10th: Seminar on “which role can direct electric current play in the Tunisia-Libya interconnection?”

Many presentations were made on this subject notably on direct electric current transmission techniques, the place of connections with direct current in Nordel Market etc….

- The annual meeting on April, 11th had many items on the agenda, notably the activity report, the summary of the seminar held on April 10th, 2007, development of the power market of the Maghreb etc….

The seminar and the meeting were chaired by the CEO of SONELGAZ, Mr. BOUTARFA the outgoing President of MEDELEC.

The main conclusions of this meeting are as follow:

1° Tunisia-Libya Interconnection: A sub-station to convert Alternative current/direct current can be built between Egypt and Libya to connect the Maghreb network and the Machrek.

2° Palestine was admitted as member of MEDELEC.

3° Renewal of mandates :

- President :Mr. YOUNESS Maamar, Chief Executive of ONE/ Morocco- Vice-President : Mr. FAWZI Kharbat, Secretary General of UAPTDE- Secretary General; Mr. FRANCOIS, Meslier – EDF

Next meetings of MEDELEC scheduled as follow:

- Annual meeting : First quarter of March 2008 in Morocco

- Conference of MEDELEC on the Arab market of electricity: First quarter of May 2008.The place will be agreed upon.

II. BELGIUM

Upon invitation of Mr. M’Hamed Chérif, Director of BizClim, Business Climate Facility for ACP Countries, the Secretary General took part in a workshop as a panelist on “the problems of electricity in Africa” on April 17th 2007 at the ACP Countries Headquarters in Brussels.

The workshop made it possible to the Secretary General to give a progress report on the power sector in Africa and to introduce the UPDEA initiatives, namely the project of the establishment of an African Fund for Rural Electrification (FADER) for which the financing of the feasibility study has not yet been found- BizClim is willing to consider a request of UPDEA on this matter.

BizClim also informed the Secretary General that the request of UPDEA on the “assessment of the institutional reforms implemented in the African power utilities” was on good progress.

A positive reaction will be sent to UPDEA in the days to come.The workshop registered presence of representatives from the European Union Commission, Embassies, CDE/Proinvest, the Belgium regulation Commission (CREG) and other institutions.

III . GERMANY

The Secretary General finally travelled to Germany where on invitation of Africa-Verein, he represented the UPDEA President from April 20th to 21st 2007 at the 2nd Energy Africa Conference held in Hamburg and Hanover, under the patronage of the German Federal Ministry of economy and technology – Africa-Verein is the German manufacturers’ association interested in Africa.

This conference registered participation of several African Ministers and ambassadors, representatives from international organisations as well as many businessmen and women

The proceedings were organised in two days

- Hanover April 19yh 2007

The delegates went to the international exhibition of Hanover where they could visit stands relating to the upstream and downstream activities of oil and gas production and those regarding renewal energies in particular the Aeolian.

The proceedings then developed into two sessions:

1. Sessions1: Opening ceremony followed by many presentations on the following theme:” the African power sector: General overview of the current development”

The Secretary General on this subject gave a presentation on the business opportunities in the African power sector.

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The presentation which introduction was based on the current situation of the power sector in Africa and challenged both the representatives of international institutions and German manufacturers on the need to take steps on behalf of Africa.

This led the representative of EUEI partnership Dialogue Facility to invite UPDEA to submit a request relating to the feasibility study of the African Fund for the Development of Rural Electrification (FADER).

2. Session2: Some presentations were made on the services related to the power sector in Africa.

Hamburg April 20th ,2007

The proceedings were organised in plenary and parallel sessions on the following themes:

Oil and gas: Upstream developmentOil and gas: Central and downstream developmentPower Generation by conventional energy andRenewable energies

IV CONCLUSION

The missions carried out in these different countries enabled the Secretary General to inform his counterparts about UPDEA, the African power sector situation and the African peoples’ expectations.

NEWS OF MEMBERS

I. SENEGAL - SENELEC

In its staff news bulletin n° 099 of March 22, 2007, SENELEC teaches us that during its last meeting, the Counsel validated the note of orientation on the budget 2007.

The principal objectives are as follows:

- recovery of the profitability of the utility- significant improvement of the quality of service and the information system - increase in the mobilization and the staff motivation.

So, together with the parent ministry, SENELEC decided to make technical provisions within the framework of the organization of GAMOU 2007 which aims at : improving the quality of service, providing safety to high density religious sites, extending the power supply network inside the town of Tivouane and electrifying some surrounding villages.

Some measures will also be taken in the field of communication, in particular, sensitizing on the electric risks as well as measures for energy saving.

II. SENEGAL - Commission of Regulation of the Power Sector

The Commission of Regulation of the Power Sector of Senegal transmitted to UPDEA the 4th issue of its official News bulletin.

This bulletin reports the various decisions relating to the tariffs of retail sale applicable by SENELEC as well as the opinion of the Commission on the granting of a licence of electrical power generation to an independent producer, KOUNOUNE POWER, a Senegalese company established by the Mitsubishi / Matelec group.

III. DRC - SNEL

We would like to inform you that changes were operated within the board of Management of SNEL in DRC.

By an inter-ministerial decree (Energy and Portfolio), the Board of Management of SNEL was replaced, from April 28, 2007, by an ad interim Management Committee as follows:

- Managing Director- Administrator a.i : Mr YENGO MASSAMPU

- Deputy Managing Director-Administrator a.i: Mrs TOKWAULU AENA

- Technical Director Administrator a.i.: Mr LOKALA J’IFASSO

- Financial Director Administrator a.i : Mr MUHIYA LUMBU

Except Mr. MUHIYA LUMBU who comes from the Office of the Roadway systems and Drainage, the other members of this committee are from SNEL:

Mr. YENGO MASSAMPU is the former Director of “Province du Bas Congo” SNEL (Southern part of Congo), Mrs. TOKWAULU AENA is the former Secretary General of SNEL and Mr. LOKALA J’IFASSO is the former WESTCOR Project Coordinator based in Gaborone - Botswana.

Mr YENGO Massampu, MDA a.i of SNEL

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A GLANCE AT THE STAFF

A new Technical Assistant at the General Secretariat.

Since March 2007, the General Secretariat of UPDEA has a new Technical Assistant. Mr MONDRE Sano of SONABEL (Burkina Faso) takes over from M. KAKOKOTA who went back to his company of origin, ZESCO (Zambia).

The new Technical Assistant we introduce to you today is a pure UPDEA’s product: he was trained at the IEEC, a school of engineers established in 1979 by UPDEA.

Mrr MONDRE Sano

1. Education

After graduating from the Technical High school of Ouagadougou in1980, Mr. MONDRE passed the entrance test for IEEC (Interafrican Electrical Engineering College). The compulsory in training courses each end of the year during its studies at IEEC will lead him to SNEL in Kinshasa.

The policy of IEEC indeed, was to make it possible to students to impregnate realities of countries other than theirs in the field of electricity. He completed his studies at IEEC with a diploma of engineer in Electromechanics in July 1985.

On his return to Burkina, he is enrolled for the civic military service. He spent one month and half there and then joined SONABEL. In 1986, his professional career at SONABEL will really start.

2.. Professional experience

Before his appointment at the UPDEA’s Secretariat, Mr. MONDRE has been useful at various positions and in various spheres of activities at SONABEL:

-At the Management of the Distribution: For many times, he has been Regional manager including the Regional Management of Ouagadougou (gathering several cities) with the following assignments: the technical management of the distribution network (average and low voltage) and the Customers Management

- At the Management of the Studies, Planning and Equipment:Engineer in charge of studies and projects of equipment, then responsible for the department in charge of the completion of the work of low voltage.

- At the Management of the Production and Transport: In charge of the department for Electric Control (protection of the works of production, transport and distribution) and Telecommunications, then Responsible for the department in charge of operation and maintenance of the grid system and the control system of SONABEL.

Among the events which marked out his professional experience, we will bear in mind that Mr. MONDRE directed work of electrification of the new city built to host the 19th Franco-African Summit held in Ouagadougou from 04 to 06 December, 1996.

He also followed several further trainings additionally to that one carried out in India in the field of solar energy, as well as training in Economics at the University of Ouagadougou where he will get a master degree.

3. Marital status

Mr. MONDRE is married and is father of 4 children (3 boys and 1 girl). His wife is Hospital Manager in Ouagadougou.

We will especially bear in mind that Mr. MONDRE, who is a former student of IEEC and currently Technical Assistant at UPDEA is simply a pure UPDEA “offspring”.

UPDEA AND ITS PARTNERS

UPDEA - BizClim co-operation

In its end-of-term report of April-June 2007, BizNEWS, the News bulletin of BizClim, published an article on a request brought in by UPDEA, concerning the assessment of the reforms carried out in the power sector in Africa.

BizClim is reviewing the request of the UPDEA to support it. The results of the study will be published in particular, for the African decision makers and the potential investors. The study initiated by the UPDEA will make it possible to make relevant recommendations, in order to improve the future reforms.

FREE EXPRESSION

This column is intended for all those who would like to express themselves on different subjects relating to our activity.

In this first issue, we will consider the relationship between energy, environment and sustainable development. In so doing, we will present an article published in summer 1989 by the magazine FORCES (Canadian magazine for economic, social and cultural documentation.)

This article which takes up the remarks of the Minister for Environment at this time, Honourable Lucien BOUCHARD, is always topical, 18 years after its publication.

Environment and Energy: A Canadian Perspective

In Canada today, environment and energy are being accepted as two complementary parts of the vital whole known as sustainable development. For too long, they were treated as mutually exclusive – as

if meeting urgent energy needs automatically meant destruction of our already-fragile environment.

We need only look at the world economy to know that, ultimately, prosperity and a decent standard of life for people depend on secure, reasonably priced energy. At the same time, however, there is greater awareness that life itself hinges on a healthy environment now and in the future.

The philosophy of sustainable development is a logical extension of Canadian experience during the past ten years, a period in which a healthy environment has become a primary consideration in evaluating energy policies and programmes.

The Honourable Lucien BOUCHARDMinister of the Environment

NEXT MEETINGS

Annual General Assembly of AfDBVenue  : Shanghai (China)Date  : 13-18 MayOrganizer: AfDBParticipants : upon invitation

UPDEA Colloquium « African Electrotechnical Standardization : Challenges and opportunities»

Venue  : CAPE TOWN (RSA) – International convention center

Date : 28-29 MayOrganizers: - UPDEA

- ESKOMParticipants : - AFREC

- Member utilities of the UPDEA - National standardization committees - Other institutions

Africa Utility week 2007Venue : CAPE TOWN (RSA) – International

convention centerDate  : 30-31 MayOrganizer: SPINTELLIGENT (RSA)Participants : - Delegates from power and gas utilities

- Manufacturers and officials7th International Conference on insulated power cables

Venue  : PARIS - VersaillesDate  : 24-28 JuneOrganizer: JICABLE (France)Participants : - Every interested power utility

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General Assembly of WAPPVenue  : to be specifiedDate  : 3-6 JulyOrganizers : - WAPP

- Host utilityParticipants : - Member utilities of WAPP

- Other institutionsUPDEA Executive Committee

Venue  : AKOSSOMBO (Ghana)Date  : 17-18 JulyOrganizers : - UPDEA

- VRA (Ghana)Participants : - Members of the UPDEA Executive Committee

IEC – CIGRE Symposium on Ultra High Voltage (+1000kV/AC & + 800kV/DC)

Venue  : Beijing (China)Date  : 18-21 JulyOrganizers : - IEC and CIGREParticipants : - Transmission system operators

- Electrotechnical equipment manufacturers - Transmission design engineers - Research and test laboratories, etc…

Colloquium on Human ResourcesVenue  : ACCRA (Ghana)Date  : 7-9 AugustOrganizers : - UPDEA study committee on Human Resources

management - ECG / VRA - UPDEA General Secretariat

Participants : - Delegates from UPDEA member utilities - Guests

Inaugural General Assembly of AFSEC Venue  : ACCRA (Ghana) (to be confirmed)Date  : November (to be confirmed)Organizers : - UA/AFREC

- GHANA - UPDEA

Participants  - AFREC/UA - UPDEA member utilities - National Standardization Committees - Regional and international standardization

institutions - Development partners- Operators of the African power sector

WEC/UPDEA Workshop on performances of power stations in Africa

Venue  : WINDHOEK (Namibia)Date  : 11-14 SeptemberOrganizers : - WEC/NAMIBIA

- UPDEAParticipants  - Member utilities of the UPDEA

- Members of WEC - Development partners- Regional and international institutions

International Conference on Rural ElectrificationVenue  : CASABLANCA (Morocco)Date  : 22-23 OctoberOrganizers: - Host utility (ONE)Participants : - Member utilities of the UPDEA

- Development partners - Guests

39th UPDEA General AssemblyVenue  : CASABLANCA (Morocco)Date  : 24-25 OctoberOrganizer: - Host utility (ONE)

- UPDEAParticipants : - Member utilities of the UPDEA

- Development partners- Guests

23th meeting of the SAPP Executive Committee

Venue  : to be specifiedDate  : 8 NovemberOrganizers: - SAPP

- Host utilityParticipants : - Member utilities of SAPP

7th meeting of EAPP Executive CommitteeVenue  : Khartoum (to be confirmed)Date  : 27-30 NovemberOrganizers: - EAPP

- NEC (Sudan)Participants : - Member utilities of EAPP

4th meeting of the UPDEA Scientific CommitteeVenue  : to be specifiedDate  : 1st week (4-6 December)

Organizers: - UPDEA - Host utility

Participants : - All study committee members - Delegates of UPDEA affiliate

members - Guests

NB:

WEC: World Energy CouncilPHCN: Power Holding Company of NigeriaWAPP: West African Power PoolSAPP: Southern Africa Power PoolEAPP: Eastern Africa Power PoolAFREC: African Energy CommissionAFSEC: African Electrotechnical Standardization

CommissionIEC: International Electrotechnical CommissionCIGRE: Conférence Internationale des Grands Réseaux

Electriques

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