Baya Chekired has been recognized as one of the region’s most prominent women for this year’s TechWomen, a program launched by the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. The native Algerian heads a maintenance policy department at GRTE, a company that controls the country’s power transmission grid.
She also marks the first female to be employed at Algeria’s state-owned utility, Sonelgaz, as an engineer in protection and automation services for regional electricity transmission in 1997. Chekired worked with engineers and managers on a project to improve grid maintenance and reparation throughout Algeria. Holding an MBA, she said: “I always think that, as educated people, as managers and as women, it is our duty to give back to our country, to change things around us and to help people around us, but the problem has always been about knowing how to do that.”
Algeria has a 98% electrification rate and in 2011, Sonelgaz announced that it was onboard the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII). The Sahara solar scheme is just one of many renewable energy plans the country has in the pipeline. Under Algeria’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Program, about 22 GW of power generating capacity will be installed via renewable energy sources by 2030. Companies like ABB, Centrotherm, Eurosol, Siemens, and WEG are already investing in the country’s RE market. Last year, large monetary agreements were signed with with Sonelgaz and Socièté Nationale de l’Electricité et du Gaz (National Society for Electricity and Gas).
Make sure you visit and click ‘Like’ on our Facebook page to receive even more news and updates from Alternative Energy Africa.