(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroonian citizens and companies will continue living in the dark until 2022. At least. Indeed, despite the increase in the number of projects for the construction of energy structures in the country, Théodore Nsangou, MD of Electricity Development Corporation (EDC), the public company in the electricity sector, estimates that a real balance between offer and demand in terms of electricity in the country will be achieved at that date.

“Today, the production deficit is not huge. It is roughly 300 MW. The problem is that the demand grows by 8 to 10% per year. Therefore, in five years from now, the demand will have doubled and we will be able to meet it. With the dam projects over the Sanaga, we will recover a production balance by 2022, after the commissioning of Natchigal (dam with a capacity of 400 MW, Ed.). Another challenge is the transport of energy on which the government is putting an emphasis today”, he explained in an interview granted to Le Monde Afrique.

With a current installed capacity of about 1,200 MW, Cameroon will in principle add close to 1,000 MW in capacity to its electricity offer by 2022. In part through the announced commissioning of the Memvé’élé (200 MW from June 2017), Lom Pangar (30 MW after the completion of the adjoining plant), Natchigal (400 MW from 2021) and probably Song Dong dams (270 MW).

Incidentally, the forecasts of the MD of EDC are more optimistic those of the Cameroonian financial expert, Babissanaka, who projects “irreversible” needs of 4,000 to 5,000 MW of electricity for Cameroon from 2020. This, he specifies, “in accordance” with the country's industrialisation ambition declared by the government.

Brice R. Mbodiam