(Business in Cameroon) – The Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC) and the National Electricity Transmission Company (Sonatrel) signed a major agreement yesterday in Yaoundé, under which Sonatrel will handle the transmission of all electricity produced by the Nachtigal hydropower plant. Gaston Eloundou Essomba, Cameroon’s Minister of Water and Energy, presided over the signing ceremony.
Under this agreement, NHPC will produce the electricity, which will then be sold to Eneo, the main power distributor, through an existing Power Purchase Agreement. Sonatrel, in turn, will transport the electricity and receive payment for the transmission services. “NHPC will be paid by Eneo, and we will transport the energy and await payment for the transmission fees,” explained Sonatrel’s Director General, Victor Mbemi Nyaknga, during a statement on public television.
Vincent Leroux, the Managing Director of NHPC, added, “This partnership enables us to serve the entire Southern Interconnected Network (RIS) and fully evacuate the energy generated at Nachtigal.”
This agreement comes shortly after the commissioning of the dam’s third turbine on September 19, 2024. The first turbine started in June, followed by the second in August. Currently, Nachtigal is supplying 180 MW out of the planned 420 MW. The Minister of Water and Energy announced that the goal is to bring an additional turbine online each month so that all seven are operational by the end of January 2025. “We expect the fourth turbine to be online by the end of October,” he confirmed.
However, significant challenges remain despite the signing. The country’s aging power transmission and distribution infrastructure, managed by Sonatrel and Eneo, needs major upgrades to ensure optimal energy evacuation from Nachtigal. Although a 225 kV transmission line connects the dam to Yaoundé, the new line under construction to Douala, a key consumption hub, is still incomplete. “If dams are built but the transport infrastructure isn’t up to par, it will be difficult to meet the needs of the population,” acknowledged Minister Essomba during the ceremony.
During a recent visit to the Nachtigal site, Minister Essomba emphasized the importance of having transport infrastructure ready to evacuate the power in real-time. “We will continue to monitor the transmission lines to Douala to ensure that the schedule is aligned, allowing for real-time energy evacuation from Nachtigal. This will significantly reduce the current inconveniences faced by the population due to power shortages or inadequate transmission infrastructure,” he added.
With a total investment of CFA786 billion, Nachtigal is Cameroon’s largest power plant. Its 420 MW capacity is expected to boost the country’s electricity production by 30%. The dam will also increase the share of hydropower in the national energy mix, reducing the need for costly fuel purchases for backup thermal plants. Additionally, Nachtigal could position Cameroon as a leader in electricity exports within Central Africa. The Cameroon-Chad Power Interconnection Project (Pirect), which aims to supply 100 MW of electricity to Chad by 2027, is also progressing.