(Business in Cameroon) - SINOMACH, the Chinese machinery industry, has been chosen to build a 940MW hydroelectric plant on Sanaga river in Labanga, Central Cameroon. This is exclusively revealed by Essingan, the Cameroonian biweekly, in its edition of January 10, 2018.

The decision was approved by the presidency on December 20, 2017. Indeed, Ferdinand Ngoh Ngoh, general secretary at the presidency, has sent a mail to Basile Atangana Kouna, the minister of energy and water to notify him of the consent of Paul Biya, Cameroon’s president. “I’m pleased to notify you that the presidency has given its approval for the signature of an agreement with SINOMACH for studies on Sanaga river in Labanga, for a non-renewable period of 12 months”, the mail reads.

With a production capacity of 800MW in the first phase and 940MW in the second phase, the capacity of this yet to-be-constructed hydroelectric plant is considerably above that of the existing infrastructures. Actually, the combined production capacities of Mekin (15 MW), Bini (75 MW), Song-Loulou (388 MW) and Nachtigal (420 MW), and Lom Pangar (30 MW) is 928 MW.

SINOMACH, based in Beijing in China, is commissioned to conduct preliminary and advanced studies as well as the detailed engineering phases and that of the environmental and social impacts. It will also build the plant and related infrastructures.

Once all those preliminary steps are completed, Eneo Cameroon (subsidiary of the British Actis) and the other potential partners will be contacted to discuss the terms of an agreement to buy the electricity generated by the new plant. As for funding required, the two parties involved made no comment in this regard.  

S.A