Westcor partners formalise deal

THE Chief Executives representing the shareholders yesterday signed the Westcor Shareholders Agreement in Gaborone, Botswana, formally launching Westcor (Pty) Ltd.

Westcor was formed under the auspices of the Southern African Power Pool to develop the Western Power Corridor with source at Inga 3 power station in DRC. Five power utilities are participating in this project – NamPower, Eskom of South Africa, SNEL of DRC, ENE of Angola and Botswana’s BPC.The Westcor project intends to harness renewable, hydroelectric energy of the Congo River at the rapids site located some 225 km downstream from Kinshasa.Inga 3 is planned with a rated output of 3 500 megawatts, and in addition Westcor would engineer the hydroelectric potential of the Kwanza Basin in northern Angola estimated to be 6 000 megawatts.The recent SADC heads of state meeting held in Gaborone last month endorsed the Westcor project as a priority New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) output.The Westcor company was incorporated in Botswana in 2003 and last year, the energy ministers of the five participating countries signed inter-governmental and inter-utility memorandums of understanding.Five power utilities are participating in this project – NamPower, Eskom of South Africa, SNEL of DRC, ENE of Angola and Botswana’s BPC.The Westcor project intends to harness renewable, hydroelectric energy of the Congo River at the rapids site located some 225 km downstream from Kinshasa.Inga 3 is planned with a rated output of 3 500 megawatts, and in addition Westcor would engineer the hydroelectric potential of the Kwanza Basin in northern Angola estimated to be 6 000 megawatts.The recent SADC heads of state meeting held in Gaborone last month endorsed the Westcor project as a priority New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) output.The Westcor company was incorporated in Botswana in 2003 and last year, the energy ministers of the five participating countries signed inter-governmental and inter-utility memorandums of understanding.