(Business in Cameroon) – The Kikot-Mbebe Hydro Power Company (KHPC), which oversees the construction of the 500 MW Kikot Dam, has announced a pre-selection process for companies interested in taking part in the project. Starting January 27, KHPC is inviting companies to submit applications for initial evaluation.
“Only candidates selected during this phase will be invited to participate in the tender process, which is expected to launch in August or September 2025,” said Christophe Avognon, the company’s director.
Companies can apply for one or multiple project lots. The civil engineering lot includes the dam’s civil works, hydromechanical equipment, and metal structures. The electromechanical lot covers work on the plant’s equipment and secondary civil engineering works. Lastly, the transmission line and substation lot includes the construction of the energy evacuation line, substation, and connections between the plant and substation.
Interested applicants are invited to contact KHPC by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for submissions.
KHPC has clarified that participation in the initial selection process is open to both national and international companies or consortiums, provided they are not subject to sanctions or suspensions by the Cameroonian government, the World Bank, or the International Finance Corporation (IFC) at the time of the submission deadline.
The Kikot hydropower project, located in Cameroon’s Center region, is a joint venture between Électricité de France (EDF) and the Cameroonian government, each holding a 50% stake. The project will feature a 1,200-meter-long dam and a plant with six Kaplan turbines, each generating 83.3 MW, with a head height of approximately 35 meters.
According to EDF’s early estimates, the project’s cost exceeds €1 billion (over CFA650 billion). Funding will come from the World Bank, via its private-sector financing arm, the IFC, and other financial partners.
Once completed in 2030, the Kikot Dam will not only surpass Nachtigal’s 420 MW capacity to become Cameroon’s largest power plant but will also stand as “the largest low-carbon infrastructure ever built in Central Africa,” said Valérie Levkov, EDF’s Director for Africa, the Middle East, and the Eastern Mediterranean.
