The new hydro project is predicted to cover 30 percent of Cameroons electricity demand
GE Renewable Energy has reportedly been awarded with an $87 million contract for providing seven 60 MW Francis hydro turbines to Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC), for Cameroon’s new Nachtigal hydropower plant.
Apparently, NHPC is a company that is jointly owned by the Republic of Cameroon, International Finance Corporation, EDF, STOA and Africa 50. The new 420 MW hydroelectricity plant, to be owned and operated by NHPC, would be built near the Nachtigal falls on the Sanaga river, located 65 kilometers from the capital of Cameroon.
Nachtigal is supposedly anticipated to cover 30% of the electricity demand in the country, reaching a yearly output of around 3 TWh. The new hydropower station would thus be securing a reliable and additional electricity source for the country. The project would be undertaken with Elecnor, in the consortium which is led by GE Renewable Energy.
According to a GE press release, its hydro teams will be responsible for coordinating the project, which includes designing, manufacturing as well as supervising the erection and commissioning of the turbines and generators, the control system and the mechanical Balance of Plant.
The Centers of Excellence of GE Renewable Energy, located in Grenoble (France), Tianjin (China) and Belfort, will manage the contract, the company said. Elecnor would be supplying, manufacturing, installing and commissioning the electrical Balance of Plant, the high voltage substations. The management of power house finishing works and on-site erection will also be done by them.
GE’s Hydro Solutions CEO and President, Pascal Radue, mentioned that the Nachtigal hydropower plant is among the pillars which support Cameroon’s energy development plan being implemented. He commented that when fully operational by 2023, the plant would benefit the population by providing an improved, facilitated and sustainable access to renewable electricity.
For the uninitiated, GE Renewable Energy is a $10 billion business and has installed more than 400 GW capacity worldwide, boasting of over 22,000 employees spread across 80 nations.
