Africa-Press – Eswatini. For over 125 years, GE has demonstrated its commitment to Sub-Saharan Africa through its approach to investment and innovation in healthcare, energy and aviation, contributing to building a prosperous, sustainable future for the continent.
REVOLUTIONIZING HEALTHCARE
A leading provider of precision health technologies, GE Healthcare works towards making healthcare systems more sustainable and accessible to deliver better outcomes to more people. Using big data and AI to analyze a multitude of factors to diagnose and treat disease, GE Healthcare’s lifesaving innovation is revolutionizing healthcare in Africa.
GE Healthcare’s diagnostic imaging and monitoring portfolio, from initial screening, diagnosis, therapy guidance, and minimally invasive treatment to monitoring patient progress, is deployed in facilities throughout Africa, including Kenya’s Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH), sub-Saharan Africa’s first publicly-owned comprehensive cancer center. In Nigeria, it delivered and installed equipment with a full range of products at Duchess International Hospital, the largest multi-specialty privately-owned hospital on the mainland.
In partnership with AFRIPHARMA, GE Healthcare equipped the Afri-Egypt Health Services Center in Jinja, Uganda, for diagnosis and treatment of various critical diseases, including in the areas of women’s health, neonatal care, cardiology, internal medicine, HIV, infectious diseases, and COVID-19. The Center could serve over 60,000 people, improving accessibility in the surrounding communities.
“Our healthcare infrastructure expands capacity and improves healthcare outcomes, and we work closely with local healthcare professionals to meet the needs of the community,”
said Eyong Ebai, General Manager, GE Healthcare, SSA.
HIGHER ACCESS, LOWER EMISSIONS, STABLE GRIDS
Finding a lasting and sustainable solution for Africa’s energy poverty is urgent if emerging economies are to power the industrialization essential to their economic development and a better quality of life. GE innovates through modernizing existing technologies and developing new breakthrough technologies such as hydrogen and carbon capture, storage and utilization (CCUS) solutions.
In a recent white paper, GE highlights that the accelerated and strategic deployment of both renewable energy and gas power contributes greatly to combatting climate change in the nearterm, demonstrated by the proven performance of its HA gas turbine, which enables greater use of renewable energy and a transition from gas to hydrogen. GE steam power is also supporting its customers as they transition to a lower carbon future by maximizing the lifetime output of the existing installed base to improve performance and efficiency and ensure these power plants continue to deliver affordable and reliable power as long as it’s needed.
“GE contributes to buildingamore sustainable energy system by collaborating to build new high-efficiency generating capacity through a mix of natural gas and renewables,”
said Nosizwe Dlengezele, GE Gas Power’s Chief Commercial Officer, SSA.
In East Africa, GE Renewable Energy is supplying the turbines and advisory support for Kipeto Energy’s 100 MW wind power project in Kajiado, Kenya and all electro-mechanical equipment for the Bujagali 250 MW Hydro power plant in Uganda. GE equipment will power Senegal’s 300 MW Cap des Biches combined cycle gas turbine power plant, generating enough electricity for 500,000 homes and, in Côte d’Ivoire, is providing gas turbine technology and services for the Azito Phase IV 260 MW power plant extension, bringing total plant capacity to approximately 700 MW.
GE Grid Solutions focuses on physical upgrades to existing grids to better manage decentralized renewables and optimize efficiency and stability, and provides the digital software to run them locally and troubleshoot problems, increasing overall capacity and resilience. It recently commissioned Africa’s first fully digital high voltage substation in Senegal and was awarded a US$47 million contract to build the biggest high-voltage substation in Benin, in addition to the 2018 turnkey distribution management system project currently being executed.
INNOVATION TAKES FLIGHTGE
Aviation powers Ethiopia Airline’s fleet, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and 777s and the Next Generation B737s through CFM International, a JV between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines. In 2020, Kenya Airways selected GE Aviation’s Flight Operations suite of digital products across its entire fleet. This June, CFM launched its RISE (Revolutionary Innovation for Sustainable Engines) Program to develop the next-generation CFM engine, aiming for 20% more fuel efficiency. GE Aviation also supports industry initiatives to approve and adopt 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and, recently, United became the first airline to operate a passenger flight using 100% SAF.
COMMITTED TO COMMUNITIES
Committed to transforming communities in which it operates, GE aims to inspire future engineers and shape workforce diversity through its STEM initiatives. It recently organized a Girls in STEM event for 100 students in Côte d’Ivoire and launched Next Engineers in Johannesburg, with a $2.5m investment.
Since the onset of the pandemic, GE and its partners have helped communities face the economic and social implications of COVID-19, including by building a primary healthcare clinic in Botleng in Mpumulanga and, on World Food Day, donating $100,000 to Food Forward to help people experiencing food insecurity.
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