A mission to identify future users of the small hydroelectric power plant in Mbakaou-Carrière, developed by IED, is currently underway in the Tibati region.

Scheduled for summer 2021, the upcoming commissioning of the plant will allow a regular and decarbonized supply of electricity to more than 50,000 inhabitants.

In the villages near the future medium-voltage line, the arrival of electricity is eagerly awaited. In addition to a significant increase of the living conditions in households (lighting, telecommunications), electricity is expected to generate many socio-economic benefits : the creation of small shops and workshops, improved quality of health services, education or waste treatment.

In this lake area, which is highly regarded for its fish, the development of a cold chain should also reduce the productive losses of fishermen, and alleviate as well the pressure on firewood resources which are traditionally used to smoke to preserve fish.

After 18 months of fieldwork, the digitalization phase of NIGELEC's urban distribution networks has been finalised by the IED team and its partner in october 2020.

Operated with the support of NIGELEC and with the help of high-performance mobile equipment, all network equipment in the cities of Niamey, Diffa, Dosso, Tahoua, Agadez, Maradi, Zinder and  Tillaberi  has been geo-referenced and consolidated into a geographic information system (GIS) to facilitate network monitoring and maintenance.

These digitalization operations have enabled the mapping of more than 1200 km of medium voltage lines and 3800 km of low voltage lines with their electrical characteristics as well as 256,000 meters. Through the visualization application developed for this purpose, NIGELEC will have a powerful and comprehensive network monitoring tool that will ultimately simplify network maintenance and reinforcement operations.

The detailed studies of the Bafang small hydroelectric power plant (3.4 MW) project on the Mouankeu River in Cameroon's western region which begun at the end of November 2018 were in the final stages of completion in August 2019. In February 2020, IED presented its study and its main findings to UNIDO, sponsor of the study.

After the pandemic period, it was finally by videoconference that the official validation meeting was held on 27 July 2020, bringing together the main key players of electricity in Cameroon (MINEE, ENEO, ARSEL, AER), the municipality of Bafang as well as the other ministries and institutions. The main findings have been validated and the next step considered at this stage will be the drafting and diffusion for launching a tender offer to call for applications to select a potential investor to develop the site as an Independent Power Producer (IPP).

Injecting energy into the grid will significantly improve the quality of service by significantly reducing voltage drops and ensuring continuity of service. Local businesses and industries, such as the new Neo cocoa plant, will also be beneficiaries.

Activity is intensifying on ECLER IVOIRE construction site.

Executive work files are validated leading the path for construction works !

The SAGEMCOM and IED teams (which provides mastery of the project) are working hard to catch up with the delays caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. They sometimes have to deal with the elements, such as wandering river streams flooding the slopes. Despite these hazards, the first technical infrastructures of photovoltaic power plants came out of the ground and the networks are being materialized in the first localities: the poles were delivered and the workers are preparing their implementation.

After achieving feasibility studies for the ECLER Ivoire project for 22 rural communities in Côte d'Ivoire in 2019, IED is now taking over as prime contractor. At the beginning of August, the perimeter changed slightly as two villages in the northern zone were facing security issues were replaced by 3 new sites. Today, the study phase is almost complete and the various players are focusing themselves on the same goal : to put the networks into service in April 2021.

Pictures courtesy of Sagemcom