(Business in Cameroon) - The first pylon of the transmission line that will transfer energy from the Nachtigal dam (420 MW) has been completed, according to a recent announcement by Nachtigal Hydro-Power Company (NHPC), the company in charge of implementing this hydroelectric project.

NHPC indicates that the assembly operations started on September 11, 2020, and were completed on September 21, 2020. The said pylon (225,000 V) is 57-m high and weighs 17 tons.

The transmission line being constructed will be about 51-km long with 123 pylons, including 11 corner pylons and 112 suspension pylons.

The construction company also explains that the pylons must be strong enough to support the weight of the mechanical forces generated by the lines they support, as well as the force of the wind. Therefore, their weight ranges from 10 tons (for the lightest suspension pylons) to 80 tons for dead-end towers. Also, to meet the safety distance criteria, they will be 40 to 65 meters above the foundations.

The first turbine of the Nachtigal dam (the result of a XAF786 billion investment) is scheduled to be commissioned around September 2022. The infrastructure that will produce 2,900 GWh per year should be commissioned by the end of 2023.

S.A.