(Business in Cameroon) – Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), Cameroon’s state-owned electricity asset manager, plans to generate a total of 400 megawatts (MW) of power at the Mbakaou reservoir dam. This is an increase from the initial target of 250 to 300 MW and will be achieved through three new power plants: two hydroelectric and one solar.
According to details revealed during a site visit by EDC General Manager Théodore Nsangou from September 13 to 15, a 54 MW hydroelectric plant will be built upstream of the dam, a 234 MW plant will be constructed 10 kilometers downstream, and a 111 MW solar plant will also be added.
“This visit is aimed at finalizing the technical, environmental, and social feasibility studies, the results of which have confirmed the project’s viability and paved the way for its implementation,” EDC stated. “The Mbakaou project aims to secure the country’s electricity supply, particularly in the Far North, support regional economic development, and create local and national jobs.“
The company added that the strategic infrastructure could eventually allow for electricity exports to neighboring Chad and Nigeria, consolidating Cameroon’s role as a sub-regional energy hub.
EDC awarded the feasibility studies to a consortium led by French firm ISL on July 17, 2024. The company has not yet disclosed the project’s cost, financing model, or a timeline for construction. However, EDC highlighted the project’s “undeniable strategic advantages,” including its proximity to the existing Mbakaou reservoir dam, limited environmental and social impact due to pre-existing infrastructure, and its close location to the Southern Interconnected Grid-Northern Interconnected Grid (RIS-RIN) substation in Tibati, which is crucial for distribution.
While the project will reinforce the predominance of hydropower in Cameroon’s energy mix, the 111 MW solar plant will be the country’s first utility-scale solar facility, significantly boosting solar power’s share. The 400 MW from the project will bring Cameroon closer to its goal of achieving 5,000 MW of installed power capacity by 2030, up from the current 2,000 MW.
This goal is outlined in the country’s 2020-2030 National Development Strategy (SND30). Other projects contributing to this objective include the recently completed 420 MW Nachtigal dam and the upcoming Kikot (500 MW) and Grand Eweng (over 800 MW) dams.
Brice R. Mbodiam
