The Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC) has officially commenced continuous production of its first 60 megawatts (MW) from the Nachtigal hydroelectric dam on the Sanaga River in Cameroon’s Central Region. Frederic Labrosse, NHPC’s operations team leader, announced on LinkedIn that the group is now operational and supplying electricity to Cameroon’s grid after a month of successful testing.
“The group was still undergoing testing even while intermittently producing power. It is now officially recognized by Sonatrel as ready for operation, with its production capacity demonstrated today (Monday, June 10),” Labrosse explained, a statement corroborated by internal sources at Eneo, Cameroon’s exclusive electricity distributor.
This milestone follows a testing phase initiated on May 10 under the supervision of Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston EloundouEssomba, who presided over the ceremony marking the injection of the initial 60 MW from the dam. During this period, the dam intermittently injected power, as noted by an industry expert who stated, “For all projects, there is a testing period that began with operations on May 10. This period is expected to span several weeks before transitioning to continuous electricity injection.”
Labrosse emphasized that the operational launch of the first group signifies a “new cycle” for the infrastructure, with dedicated maintenance plans now in place. NHPC, overseeing the Nachtigal project, anticipates that this operational phase will enhance electricity supply across seven of Cameroon’s ten regions covered by the Southern Interconnected Grid (RIS), including Yaoundé and Douala, which have recently experienced electricity distribution challenges.
The Nachtigal dam, designed to ultimately increase Cameroon’s electricity production capacity by 30%, is scheduled to progressively activate the remaining six groups, each generating 60 MW monthly. Minister Eloundou Essomba projected a full commercial launch of the plant by December 2024, providing a total output of 420 MW to the Southern Interconnected Grid, establishing Nachtigal as Cameroon’s most powerful electricity facility.
With this timeline in mind, preparations for testing the second group’s operational readiness are anticipated to commence soon.
Culledfrom https://www.businessincameroon.com/energy/1106-13924-nachtigal-hydro-plant-begins-supplying-60-mw-to-cameroon-grid