Electricity Supply : Prime Minister Instruct Consolidation Of Networks

“The Prime Minister, Head of Government, His Excellency Joseph Dion Ngute, on Thursday, 23 February 2023, at 10:00 a.m. in the Auditorium of the Prime Minister's Office, chaired a Cabinet meeting attended by Ministers of State, Ministers, Ministers Delegate and Secretaries of State.  The following items featured on the agenda:
1.    statement by the Minister of Water and Energy on "the guidelines and perspectives of the Results Based Electricity Sector Recovery Programme" 
2.    statement by the Minister of Public Health on "the state of the fight against COVID-19 and cholera as well as measures taken to prevent the spread of the Marburg virus disease in Cameroon".
At the end of the opening remarks by the Head of Government, the Minister of Water and Energy began by saying that the electricity sector is faced with numerous structural and cyclical challenges which cause a financial imbalance. He outlined the objectives of the National Development Strategy 2020-2030,  which are based on the production of 5,000 megawatts by 2030, compared to 1,640 megawatts to date, and a household access rate to electricity of 100% in the long term, compared to 72% in 2023.
The Minister then gave an overview of the electricity sector, which has benefited from significant achievements, under the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper (GESP). In terms of electricity production, supply has increased from 800 Megawatts in 2010 to 1,640 Megawatts in 2023. This progress is the result of the execution of projects such as the Lom Pangar, Memve'ele and Mekin dams, as well as the Emergency Thermal Programme and the construction of thermal and solar power stations. Electricity transmission has also undergone a transformation in the ten regions of Cameroon, just as rural electrification has enabled the distribution networks to be extended. Nearly 2,000 localities have been electrified from 2010 to 2020. The State has also built 350 decentralised mini solar power stations and implemented a programme to develop a mini-hydro power plant, the first achievement of which was the commissioning of the Mbakaou dam in the Adamawa Region.
Referring to the difficulties faced by the electricity sector, the Minister noted in particular the energy mix which exerts pressure on the State budget and weakens the financial balance of stakeholders. It emerged that all the stakeholders in the sector are experiencing a precarious financial situation due to internal and external causes. Among the constraints, he also highlighted the absence of a single electricity transmission network, the poor performance of the distribution segment and the access rate to electricity in rural areas.
On the basis of this diagnosis, the Minister presented the main lines of the Electricity Sector Recovery Plan based on a change in the energy mix, which will be based on the prioritisation of hydroelectric projects and the significant development of new solar power plants. It will also involve setting up a single transmission network through the correlation of the South Interconnected Network with the North Interconnected Network, while reinforcing redundancy in electricity transmission. In the same vein, the improvement of the financial balance of the sector will be achieved through targeted actions to generate cash flow for the actors. It will also require urgent investments in the distribution segment, intensifying operations to combat fraud and optimising the process of access to electricity in rural areas, through the promotion of decentralised production. Emphasis will also be laid on the development of human capital and the necessary local skills.
To conclude his presentation, the Minister of Water and Energy emphasised that the implementation of the Electricity Sector Recovery Programme will cost nearly USD 300 million. World Bank support is expected for its effective implementation.
In his presentation, the Minister of Public Health gave an u...