Bamako intends to bolster its renewable energy industry to decrease dependence on fossil fuels' unpredictable costs, said Bintou Camara, Mali's Minister of Energy and Water Resources, in an exclusive interview with Sputnik Africa.
According to the minister, the primary issue facing the country's energy sector is the significant reliance on imported hydrocarbons. She clarified that since Mali does not produce fuel, the nation must import it at steep and fluctuating prices. Therefore, the West African country is mulling a gradual transition towards sustainable energy, with a particular focus on solar energy.
"This fuel is imported, and import is very expensive. So we would like to move to clean energy, which is hydroelectric power, solar energy, especially because Mali is a very, very sunny country," she said.
The Malian minister pointed out that currently, nearly all power plants operate on fuel, making the country susceptible to oil price shifts.
Against this backdrop, she noted, Mali is collaborating on multiple energy sector projects with various international partners. In particular, the nation has already executed several accords in the energy sphere with Rosatom, the Russian state nuclear corporation.
She added that the country has experienced a recent surge in energy consumption, but lacks sufficient capacity. Thus, it is highly interested in cooperation with Russian enterprises.
"There are already agreements on mines, and we are going to have agreements on hydroelectric plants, power plants, solar energy, everything related to clean energy," the minister further elaborated.
There are currently at least four hydroelectric dam projects near Bamako, along with two solar energy projects in other regions, the minister specified.
On October 13, Rosatom announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding with Mali on the peaceful use of civil nuclear energy. The Malian minister, who was in Moscow to take part in the REW, met with representatives of the Russian energy agency. The discussion centered around the potential collaboration between the two nations in geological exploration, mining, and peaceful use of nuclear energy.