Benin International Mining, Energy & Petroleum Conference 2014

From 23 to 26 April 2014 BIMEPET will take place in Cotonou, the economic capital of the country and will bring together international experts and investors of the minerals and hydrocarbons sector in the Republic of Benin, in West Africa in particular and in Africa in general. New market opportunities of minerals and hydrocarbons in Benin will therefore be presented at this event.

The Republic of Benin is divided into two geographic areas: the north of the country consists mainly of savannah and semi-arid mountains while the south is a coastal plain where are concentrated most densely populated cities such as Porto-Novo or Cotonou. The neighbouring countries of Benin are the Niger and Burkina Faso to the north, Nigeria to the east and Togo West. The country's official language is French and has more than 60 ethnic and linguistic groups, making it a diverse country.

Hydrocarbon sector

This area is under the supervision of the Minister of Energy, Oil and Mining Research, Water and Renewable Energy Development in Benin. The country contains untapped oil reserves: proved reserves were 8,000,000 barrels of crude oil from 1 January 2012. The consumption of refined petroleum products in Benin was 29,170 barrels per day.

Energy Sector

In 2009, Benin has produced 120 million kilowatt hours (kWh) while consuming 778 million kilowatt hours (kWh). Consumption in 1971 was 32 million kilowatt-hours: so, from 1971 to 2009, the electricity consumption in Benin has increased by 2 331.25% in 38 years. During that same year, the country's installed capacity was 60,000 kilowatts. The center of Maria Gléta in Abomey, near Cotonou, should increase by 80 MW the power capacity of the country and solve its electricity problems.

Mining

Benin has a high mineral potential: Gold: North of the country where significant gold metallogenic zones, iron more than 500 000 million tons of iron are untapped in the extreme north of the country and of other regions; phosphates: North-West, Mekrou a phosphate deposit was estimated at 5.5 million tonnes with an average grade of 252% P2O5; building materials: the basement of Benin contain large quantities of building materials such as marble, limestone, clay, etc..

Water sector

Access to safe drinking water in Benin has made significant progress since the 90s, especially in areas where it is more accessible than in most other African countries. New strategies have been adopted since 2005 to improve access in rural areas and those in urban areas. Tariffs in the urban and rural areas are high enough to cover operating and maintenance costs.

However, challenges still exist. A coherent institutional framework was put in place for rural areas and projects through external donations. Responsibilities for water supply have been defined in the context of a national strategy in 2007 and the National SONEB organization (National Water Company of Benin) receives significant support in terms of investment and technical assistance. Sanitation receives less attention. The waste water hardly exists.