Electricity Sector: Between Load-shedding And Hope…

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Electricity Sector: Between Load-shedding And Hope…

Frequent blackouts are still common in cities across the country though hopes are rife for a turning

30 janv. 2024 05:03

Cameroon’s electricity woes are far from over despite efforts being made by the authorities to improve on the situation. Many parts of the capital city Yaounde just like other towns in the country hardly go for a week without power cuts. In Kumba, South West Region, inhabitants seem to be fed up with daily blackouts which sometimes go for days thereby disrupting local economic activities. Load-shedding is no new phenomenon in Cameroon especially during the dry seasons when water levels drop considerably. But the construction of the Lom Pangar Reservoir Dam with a capacity to store six billion cubic metres of water to supply water to downstream Songloulou dam in times of need went operational in 2017. Yet, the situation has not completely changed as Cameroonians continue to suffer regular power blackouts. However, hope for a more stable electricity supply is in the horizon with different projects on course. As at 2021, Cameroon’s installed electricity capacity stands at 1,720MW and hopes are rife that it will attain 5000MW by 2030 according to projections in the National Development Strategy 2020-2030. Already, the government and partners are pursuing a 420MW mega Nachtigal hydroelectric project on River Sanaga. The first turbines of the hydroelectric dam expected to generate 60MW of electric power are already being tested for possible integration into the south interconnection network of the national grid by March this year, according to official source at the Nachtigal Hydropower Company (NHPC). This is certainly going to boost energy supply within the southern interconnection network. Already, the South Interconnected Network has received a bolster following the operationalization of the Lom Pangar foot plant that is producing 30MW of electricity for some 150 localities in the East Region. Meanwhile, energy supply is som...