MINISTER OF WATER AND ENERGY REASSURES FLUENT ELECTRICITY SUPPLY

On Thursday 22nd  February 2024, the Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, met with Cameroonian business leaders and businessmen,

Where the minister addressed concerns over the recent disruptions in electricity supply affecting businesses in Douala and Yaounde.

The meeting was held at the headquarters of the Groupement des Entreprises du Cameroun (GECAM) in Douala. On the agenda for discussion between the member of the government and Cameroon’s employers was the issue of electricity supply. He has offered a resolute commitment to eliminating load shedding in the country after March, assuring a consistent and stable power supply.

The consultative meeting focused on transparency, was prompted by ongoing electricity supply issues attributed to a loss of 150 megawatts at the Memve’éle hydroelectric power plant due to a drop in water levels. The plant, generating 211 megawatts annually, is expected to resolve the situation by 2025. Despite Cameroon’s vast hydropower potential of approximately 115,000 GWh/year, only 4% has been developed, with reliance on three main power plants—Edea, Songloulou, and Lagdo—while others are still under construction.

Minister Eloundou Essomba’s commitment to both quantity and quality of electricity supply coincides with the expected release of the first 60 megawatts from the recently completed Nachtigal Dam on February 24, 2024.

Transparency and reassurance were the key words in the discussions between the member of the government and the employers.

The meeting between the Minister for Water and Energy and the business leaders took place in the presence of the main players in the electricity sector.

Delia Nyadi