ENEO: Energy minister advances reasons for persistent power cuts across country
By Stephen TADAHA
The Energy Minister of Cameroon, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, has explained the reasons behind the ongoing power shortages affecting several regions of the country. In a press release dated January 14, Essomnba clarifies that the South Interconnected Grid which serves the West, North West, South West, South, Littoral, and Centre regions, has been facing significant disruptions. These disruptions, he adds, are mainly due to reduced electricity production at key hydroelectric stations, including Songloulou, Edea, and Memve’ele.
Essomba also pointed out that the production capacity of these stations dropped by over 235 megawatts in 2024. The drop in production is attributed to low water levels in the reservoir dams, caused by an insufficient rainy season in 2024, resulting in a hydrological deficit of over 2 billion cubic meters. Furthermore, the shutdown of the Kribi and Dibamba thermal power plants since September 2024, due to unsettled debts, has also contributed to the reduced power supply.
To address the situation, the minister outlined several measures, including the optimization of existing production plants, maximizing the capacity of these plants, improving fuel supply to thermal plants, and resolving the debts owed to the Electricity Distribution Company, ENEO. Despite these efforts, power cuts and low voltage have been widespread, with ENEO implementing electricity rationing schedules across various neighborhoods since late December 2024.
