(Business in Cameroon) - People in several localities of the Littoral, Central, South, East, West, North West, and South West regions have been facing load shedding since the early hours of April 23, we learned from a recent statement of the Minister of Water and Energy (Minee). The reason? One of Sonatrel's towers on the 225 kV power line linking Kribi to Edea collapsed.

As a result of this incident, the "Kribi gas power plant (216 MW) has stopped injecting electricity into the southern interconnected network (RIS)," Minister Gaston Eloundou Essomba said. He estimated that these electricity disruptions will last until at least April 29. To make the situation less uncomfortable, rotating load shedding will be scheduled in the affected localities, except in Kribi, the official said. This city uses an alternative line to directly access the power plant.

"Eneo Cameroon is working to further operate its oil-fired power stations and to convince industrial customers to waive all or part of their consumption. This will enable us to serve households first," a source said. This means that businesses will suffer more from the situation since households are put first. According to available information, out of the 175 MW deficit caused by the tower collapse, at least 60 MW should be absorbed by industrial blackouts. The aluminum producer Alucam, based in Edéa, and the companies located in the Bassa industrial zone in Douala should therefore be forced to reduce their production for several days.

“All relevant government departments are mobilized to investigate the causes of the collapse,” the Minister of Water and Energy said.

CJ