Joule Africa secures hydroelectric project contract in Cameroon

Joule Africa, a renewable energy firm, and the Government of Cameroon have signed a Project Development Agreement (PDA) to jointly develop a national hydroelectric project.

Planned for construction on the Katsina Ala River in Northwest Cameroon, the hydropower plant is estimated to have a total potential installed capacity of 850MW.

Technical hydro-engineering consultancy Lahmeyer International will initiate a full feasibility and bankability study for the project.

Water Resources and Energy Minister Dr Basile Kouna remarked that Joule Africa has laid a balanced foundation for the next phase in the project’s development with its swift progress.

"Whilst we are still in the early stages, we are confident that this new project will be capable of representing a major boost of electricity generation for the nation," Dr Kouna said.

Joule Africa president and chief operating officer Mark Green noted that a full feasibility study planned soon will determine its suitability.

"This will take approximately 12 months, after which we will start to finalise the legal and financial structure with the Government of Cameroon to enable construction to commence.

"Infrastructure projects such as this take many years to develop, taking into consideration the needs of all the parties who will be impacted by the development," Green added.