By leaps and bounds

Energy is at the centre of the majority of the aspects of sustainable development, including the access to drinking water, agricultural and industrial productivity, healthcare, school level and the impact of the climate change over means of sustainable existence. Its links with other sectors are thus determining aspects with respect to an economic growth going towards the
fulfilment of the objective of the Project for the economic and social Development (PDES) along with the Objectives of the Millennium (ODN).

There are many renewable energetic resources in Mali, such as electricity which is produced thanks to hydroelectric barrages. We are by the way about to reinforce their capacities of production throughout the construction of new hydroelectric plants like the ones of Kénié (2011/2014), Félou (1) (2012), Taoussa (2013) and Gouina (2014), along with projects of interconnectivity of electric networks from Mali, the Ivory Coast (2010) and other neighbours which is currently being discussed.

The needs in electricity are divided between households (15% of the population have access to electricity- soon 23%), unities of production (mining and agro pastoral industries) and services. To cope with that, two thermic plants working with fuel have just been realized, the one of the SOPAN, which will be effective this year, and a second one financed by the BID for 2009.
We also supported the creation of 7 prototypes of hydroelectric micro plants throughout the funding of the PNUD (Program of the UN for Development).
We are waiting for the results of the fuel and gas research, and meanwhile we are also working towards the intensification of the campaigns for the development of biofuels, which is the major option voted by the government.

We managed to bring electricity to the small town of Keleya thanks to the use of oil of "pourghere" which is a new type of biofuel that does not put biodiversity into jeopardy because it is cultivated on the margin of the Sahara.
We are contemplating into making researches in biomass and we already created a unity of energetic support of the Typha Australis (2) in Niogo the objective of which was originally to reach 10 000 T/year of residential consumption of GPL and we are trying to sensitize our partners to the importance of agricultural wastes, more precisely what's left over with rice and cotton, for energetic purposes.
The Aeolian energy is being put into place in the region of Gao (200 KW), and we are developing solar resources in the rural areas in order to equip new villages in domestic solar lightening and electricity.
Our challenge is to channel and develop those resources in the best way possible for a better socioeconomic development. But we do not overlook a voluntary policy of economy of energy and we are sensitizing all the actors from the administration or society.

Among renewable energies, it seems that the solar energy is a promising solution for us. This technology is part of applications for our populations that are not linked to the main network. As regards rural solar electricity, we made experiments that were satisfactory like the equipment of the new villages of the regions of Mopti and Koulikoro throughout systems of photovoltaic lightening, solar water heater and semi-industrial or familial solar dryers, along with more than 200 solar cookers, boxes or parabolas that are currently being tested. And also solar fridges in the areas of Koulikoro, Segou, Sikasso and Mopti… Along with the installation of solar lightening kits in health centres.

Since 2002, Mali has been the third African country in the field of Gold producing after South Africa and Ghana. The majority of the gold production is ensured by industrial mines; the share of craft production is of about 3 to 4 tons/year.
Mail, since its Independence, has started, with the support of the bi and multilateral cooperation, an important activity in the field of mining exportation. The main target was to use such a mining potential to accelerate the economic development.
The gold industrial exploitation started in 1985 with the creation of the SOGEMORK (Society of exploitation of the gold mines of Kalana). However we had to wait until the 1990s to witness a genuine boost. Since then, other gold mines were discovered (Syama, Sadiola, Yatela, Morila, Loulo, Tabakoto, Segala, Kodieran …).
Geological works and other sorts of studies much more detailed allowed us to clearly show the existence of an amount of gold in reserve that rises up, in theory, to 800 tons. The analysis of the curve of the projection of the productions shows that the highest production will be reached in 2008 with 60 tons.

The mining policy lead by the Government of Mali in November 1998 had as primary objective the substantial growth of the share of mining products in the GDP. When we look at the results obtained since then, we can say that the mining sector is truly essential in the Malian economy, whether it be as regards production or exportation.

The impact over the national economy is most of all macro economic. We can notice an improvement of the trade balance because the totality of the production is exported, the GNP increased because the share of the mining sector went from 160 billion to over 300 billion.
Thanks to our mining and cartographic inventories, we can put at the disposal of national and foreign investors reliable data and geological information about the
territory. Studies are currently being made about deposits of iron, bauxite, manganese, poly metals (Copper, lead, Zink, tie, Lithium) in order for them to be promoted, and discussions are being made for the creation of a cement factory with a capacity of at least 600 000 tons per year in the first region, without counting the promotion of new blocs of sedimentary basins and the ratification of new oil conventions that may confirm the existence of a gas and hydrocarbon potential in Mali.