(Business in Cameroon) – In early August 2024, NHPC, the joint venture overseeing the construction of the 420 MW Nachtigal Dam in central Cameroon, will inject 120 MW into the southern interconnected grid, serving seven of the country’s ten regions. Following the first unit’s continuous delivery of 60 MW since June 10, 2024, the second unit of equal capacity was connected to the grid on July 16, 2024, according to NHPC insiders.
“Not only did the coupling succeed, but we also managed to ramp up to 119 MW on July 18, 2024, maintaining that output for approximately eight consecutive hours,” said a reliable source. “After these tests, Sonatrel, the national electricity transmission company, and Eneo, the exclusive electricity distributor in Cameroon, will sign the global demonstrated capacity certificate, paving the way for the second unit’s official commissioning in early August 2024,” the source added.
“The second unit of Nachtigal is currently undergoing testing, a standard procedure for infrastructure of this scale. This process is essential for ensuring the smooth operation of the dam. The increase to 120 MW is crucial as it will help Eneo manage the second low-water season of the year on the Ntem River, which began three weeks ago, earlier than expected,” an Eneo representative explained.
Due to the low-water season, characterized by a decrease in the Ntem River’s water levels, production at the Memve’élé Dam has gradually fallen from 150 MW to around 90 MW in recent days. This underproduction led to a 70 MW deficit on the southern interconnected grid on July 23, 2024. However, the energy from the Nachtigal Dam helped mitigate this shortfall, resulting in limited power outages across the country.
With the anticipated availability of 120 MW from Nachtigal in the coming days, the capacity to address the Memve’élé Dam’s production shortfall will significantly improve. Industry experts caution that Memve’élé’s output might decrease further in August 2024, the traditional peak of the low-water season on the Ntem, which arrived earlier this year.
