The Green Tech Environmental Solution on Wednesday launched its products at an exhibition held in Kololi.
The launching was attended by diplomats and senior government officials who also took a tour of the facilities.
In his remarks at the launching, the deputy permanent secretary of Ministry of Forestry and the Environment, Ebrima Jawara, said this event marked the first-ever product launching of the Green Tech Environmental Solution with the combination of groundnut shell briquettes in specially designed fuel-efficient stove.
“This innovative cooking unit will help the Gambian people in our effort to save and conserve the forest; besides, this laudable invention of Green Tech is also a step forward towards poverty reduction as cooking with this new technique can easily save a family more than 60 per cent of the cost of coking fuel compared to traditional coking setting, DPS Jawara noted.
He added that Green Tech is strongly supporting national and international developmental goals with regard to protection of forest and biodiversity, mitigation of climate change and desertification as well as to improve livelihoods.
“The Government of The Gambia highly welcomes this private initiative to provide alternative fuel,” Mr Jawara said, adding that Green Tech has appropriately responded to government’s call for private investment in the environment sector.
“In so doing Green Tech is contributing to the implementation of our forest policies,” he said
Mr Jawara added that Green Tech is determined to provide affordable environmental solution and to improve the livelihood of the people.
Speaking on behalf of the minister of Energy, Peter Mendy, energy officer, expressed delight that the energy ministry was associated with historic ceremony marking the official inauguration of Green Tech briquette plant, an environmentally-friendly plant that is converting waste to energy through the production of briquettes from groundnut shells and promotion of efficient briquette cooking stoves.
He added that as part of government’s policy for promoting renewable energy, the Gambia Renewable Energy Centre was established in the early 1980s to carry out adoptive research in renewable energy, develop and promote the use of renewable energy and energy efficient technologies in The Gambia.
Peter used the occasion to say Green Tech’s initiative was very laudable as “it helps in protecting our limited forest resource and also saves time spent by women and children in collecting firewood.
He then encouraged the private sector to take advantage of the enabling environment created by government to invest in the energy sector, especially in the renewable energy subsector.
Further speaking at the launch, the Chief Executive Officer of GIEPA, Fatou Jallow, said GIEPA as agency responsible for investment and facilitation agency in The Gambia, they are proud to be associated with the opening of a company that will provide employment opportunities to many Gambians.
Anthony Tabbal, managing director of Green Tech, gave background of the project and also thanked the guests for their turnout.
