Multicountry high-voltage transmission lines Interconnection Project launched

The governments of Cameroon and Chad have officially launched a project to interconnect the southern and northern power system's high-voltage transmission lines.

A total of 1,024 km of power transmission lines will be installed, with 786 km in Cameroon and 238 km in Chad. This initiative aims to provide electricity to 478 localities along these lines, encompassing 409 in Cameroon and 69 in Chad. Furthermore, an additional 532 km of transmission lines will be constructed within Cameroon, linking the southern and northern power systems. The work will involve the installation of: 

• A 225 kV high-voltage main transmission line between Ngaoundere and Maroua (Cameroon) and N’Djamena (Chad); 
• A 225 kV high-voltage link between Maroua (Cameroon), Bongor, Guelendeng and N’Djamena (Chad); 
• A double-circuit 225 kV transmission line in Cameroon running from Nachtigal in the southern grid to the Hourou Oussoa substation (near Ngaoundere) in the northern grid;
• Related high-voltage/medium-voltage transformer stations; and
• Rural electrification distribution networks along transmission line corridors. 

The objective is for electricity transmissions between southern and northern Cameroon to reach 522,000 MWh, and power exchanges between Cameroon and Chad to achieve 438,000 MWh by 2028. The governments aim to attain an average price of US$0.05 and US$0.067 per kWh in 2025, with the goal of ensuring universal access to electricity by 2035. The power supply will come from the existing 72 MW Lagdo hydropower plant and the planned Bini a Warak hydropower facility in Cameroon. The project execution in Chad will be overseen by the National Electricity Corporation (SNE), while the National Electricity Transmission Corporation (Sonatrel) is responsible for the project in Cameroon. The project is receiving joint funding from various sources, including the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank (WB), the African Development Fund, and the European Union (EU), along with counterpart funding from the Cameroonian government. The total estimated project cost is US$744 million.