Sonelgaz To Invest €250 Million To Produce Silicium, Yousfi

Minister of Energy and Mines, Youcef Yousfi, said on Sunday that the government is ready to launch the first workshops of exploring Silicium, which is to be destined for producing solar poles.

At the sidelines of the national fair on subcontracting for generating solar and wind energies, Mr Yousfi specified to reporters that Silicium is an essential substance in the production of voltage panels, adding that the local gas and electricity distributor company Sonelgaz is set to invest 250 million Euros to start producing Silicon as by 2013. 

On another side, Mr Yousfi indicated that Algeria tends to set up a project going until 2030 and aiming at generating 40 percent of local electricity needs. 

He said foreign investors have already expressed interest in the project, and the government is due to launch it in accordance with a book of specifications, that stipulates producing the project’s features locally, guaranteeing a foreign financing to the project and finding foreign markets to export the generated electricity. 

As for international Desertec project, Mr Yousfi said Algeria has its own programme of generating clean energies, and yet ready to discuss any partnership in that area.

He added that the North African nation aims through the national programme at developing renewable energies to generate 12 Megawatts power.