(Business in Cameroon) - The Cameroonian energy minister, while powering up the Memeve'ele dam on April 16 in Nyabizan, southern region, insisted on the positive effects the facility will have on public finance.

“Our energy mix still draws heavily from thermal power plants that use diesel. These diesel power plants cost us an average of XAF1 billion each week. With the first megawatts of Memeve'ele, the system saved around XAF30 million. We are projecting savings of about XAF350 million per week with the commissioning of Memve'ele.”

Over a month savings will amount to on average more than XAF1.5 billion and XAF18.2 billion after one year. This is far above what the government needs (XAF12.7 billion) to assist 74,994 people in the North-West and South-West in crisis over the period 2018-2019.

With the powering up of the dam, says Gaston Eloundou Essomba, Cameroon's southern interconnected grid now receives around 100 MW. Ebolowa, the capital of the South, and its surroundings receive 7 MW. This network excludes the northern and eastern regions.

Sylvain Andzongo