NEWS

Cameroon plans to construct a 400 kV electricity transmission line from Nachtigal hydroelectric plant to Bafoussam which will eventually connect to the neighboring Federal Republic of Nigeria. This was revealed by Gaston Eloundou Essomba, the Minister of Water and Energy through a tender notice he published asking for applications for the project manager position.

The line will link the 420 MW Nachtigal hydroelectric plant and its construction is set to be commissioned between October 2022 and October the following year,  about the same time when the Nachtigal hydroelectric plant will be commissioned.

Other than the construction of the 400 kV transmission line, the project also includes the development of a 400/225/30/15 kV transformer substation, extension of the Nachtigal Bafoussam substations, construction of 90 kV lines between Nachtigal-Bafia, Bafoussam-Baganté, Bafoussam-Foumbam and Bachtigal-Nkometou as well as construction of 90, 30, 15 kV substations in Bafia, Bagangté and Foumbam.

Technical studies and the implementation of the project

According to the Minister of Water and Energy, the government of Cameroon has already appointed Kalpataru Power Transmission Ltd, an Indian company, to carry out the technical studies and the construction of the infrastructure.

“So far the company has submitted the pilot design studies, launched the environmental and social studies, and started with the in depth design studies. The declarations of public utility have already been obtained for the project sites as well and the operating specifications of the assessment and evaluation commissions are available,” noted Essomba.

The Nachtigal hydroelectric plant

The Nachtigal hydropower plant is being developed in Nachtigal, Cameroon by Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC) under a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model for a period of 35 years, following which the ownership will be transferred to the government of Cameroon.

Upon completion the over US$1.2B Nachtigal power plant is projected to have the capacity to produce more than 2,900 GWh/year.