The China BETT Concrete Pole Factory, a 3-million-US-dollar project and the first of its kind in east Africa, was officially opened Saturday in Kenyan capital Nairobi.

The factory, invested by Beijing Electric Power Transmission and Transformation Company (BETT), will be making concrete poles for the power and telecommunication industries in Kenya and its neighboring countries, which have been using wooden poles for the electricity distribution networks.

"Traditionally, these wooden poles have been sourced locally but are currently being imported due to supply constraints arising from lack of sustainable sources in the country," Kenya's Assistant Minister for Energy Mwangi Kiunjuri said at the opening ceremony.

"Given this situation, the establishment of this concrete pole factory in the country has come at the right time. In this regard, I would like to express my gratitude to the BETT Company of China for their decision to locate the factory in Kenya," he added.

The assistant minister noted that in addition to providing an alternative source of poles, the factory will also employ a number of people and thus contribute toward achievement of one of the country's development goals of employment creation.

Although concrete poles are more expensive, it is important to note that they have a higher life span of about 50 years compared to about 20 years for the wooden poles.

The use of concrete poles has been implemented in many countries due to the fact that they have great advantages and are proved to be reliable in transmission, distribution and telecommunication networks, experts said.

"There are quite a few advantages of using concrete poles in the power and telephone lines construction -- safety, durability, versatility, water resistance, fireproof, anticorrosive, damp-proof, resistance to wind, environment-friendly, among others," said Dang Song, managing director of the factory.

The factory boasts an annual production capacity of 25,000 to 30,000 standard concrete electricity poles of various lengths and is expected to employ over 100 local workers, he said.

"The production and distribution of the product will no doubt create more employment and contribute to the economic growth to a great extent. And this is exactly what the Chinese government and BETT are trying to do by working so hard for a long time," said Guo Chongli, China's ambassador to Kenya.

Kenya's economy grew by 4.3 percent in 2004 and energy sector in the country also witnessed a relatively higher demand for electricity. In the area of connectivity, Kenya plans to cover 150,000 new electricity consumers every year. This level of increased connection combined with the planned improvement in the transmission and distribution networks will result in increased use of various materials including cables, transformers and poles.

Source: Xinhua