GE wins turbine contract for $1.3bn Nachtigal hydropower plant in Cameroon

GE Renewable Energy has been awarded an $87 million worth contract by Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC) to supply seven 60MW Francis turbines for the 420MW Nachtigal hydropower plant to be built with an investment of $1.35 billion.

Nachtigal hydropower plant

The new hydropower project in Cameron will be owned and operated by NHPC, which in turn, is jointly owned by Electricte de France (EDF), the Republic of Cameroon, International Finance Corporation (IFC), Africa 50 and STOA.

The Nachtigal hydropower plant is being built along the Sanaga River near the Nachtigal Falls, which is located 65km north-east of Yaounde, the capital of Cameroon.

Map showing location of Nachtigal hydropower plant in Cameroon. Photo courtesy of General Electric.

The new hydropower project is expected to meet up to 30% of the electricity demand in Cameroon with an annual output of around 3 TWh’s power generation capacity by 30% while helping the Central African country reduce its annual generation costs by $100 million.

The project will be carried out with Spanish construction engineering company Elecnor in the consortium headed by GE Renewable Energy.

GE said that its hydro teams will be responsible for the entire coordination of the hydropower project, including the design, the manufacturing, the installation supervision and the commissioning of the turbines and generators, the control system along with the mechanical Balance of the Plant (BOP).

Elecnor, on its part, under a $79 million worth contract will handle the installation and commissioning of the seven generator units to be supplied by GE along with the evacuation substation and the auxiliary systems (BOP). Additionally, Elecnor will also take care of the powerhouse finishing works of the hydropower project in Cameroon.

Pascal Radue – President & CEO of GE Hydro Solutions, commenting on the Nachtigal hydropower plant contract, said: “Nachtigal hydropower plant is one of the pillars supporting the energy development plan that is implemented in Cameroon. We are proud to support the country in this significant transformation and work closely with Nachtigal Hydro Power Company.

“When the plant is fully in operation in 2023, the population will benefit from a facilitated, improved and sustainable access to renewable electricity.”

During its peak, the construction of the Nachtigal hydropower plant is anticipated to see the involvement of up to 1,500 personnel.