(Business in Cameroon) – The Cameroonian government, through the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy has commissioned two new solar photovoltaic power plants in Songmimbias and Nkelassi, both in Bikok Subdivision, Mefou and Akono Division of the Centre Region, as part of efforts to accelerate rural electrification. The facilities, inaugurated on 8 October by Minister of Water Resources and Energy Gaston Eloundou Essomba, are components of a national programme designed to deliver electricity to 1,000 communities through renewable energy.
The initiative, according to official sources reflects the country’s growing reliance on solar technology to bridge access gaps in off-grid areas and improve energy reliability. According to data from the Ministry of Water Resources and Energy, 350 solar plants have already been installed nationwide, serving approximately 27,500 households. The two new plants in Songmimbias and Nkelassi each cover 900 square metres and are equipped with lithium batteries capable of storing 161.3 kilowatt-hours of energy. Together, they are expected to provide reliable power to around 135 households. The project’s third phase, now under construction, will add 87 more solar power plants using upgraded photovoltaic and storage technologies designed for extended battery life exceeding ten years.
At the commissioning ceremony, Minister Eloundou Essomba stated that the installations were “a concrete demonstration of the Head of State’s commitment to bring quality and sustainable energy to every corner of Cameroon.” He emphasised that the plants would improve access to education, healthcare, and local investment.
On his part, Hu Xiafeng, Vice President of Huawei Technologies for Central Africa, the company that built the plants said the facilities were already powering classrooms, streetlights, and small businesses, calling rural electrification “no longer a myth” in Cameroon.
According to the ministry, the Songmimbias and Nkelassi projects form part of Cameroon’s broader national electrification strategy under the Rural Electrification Agency, which partners with private firms to deliver renewable infrastructure. The African Development Bank’s 2024 Energy Outlook Rural indicate that access to electricity in rural areas remains below 25%, compared to about 93% in urban areas. As the government advances solar deployment to address this gap, future phases will depend on community-led management and maintenance, a factor the minister underscored as vital for long-term sustainability.
Mercy Fosoh
