CENTRAL AFRICA – The African Development Bank (AfDB) has signed an agreement for €30 million (US$33.78 million) in funding from the European Union (EU) for the completion of the electricity interconnection project between Chad and Cameroon.
The board of directors of the African Development Fund recently approved the finance, which is in addition to the funds already available for the implementation of the interconnection project.
A statement from the African Development Fund explained that the grant for the electricity interconnection project comes from the resources of the EU’s Africa Investment Platform (AIP) under PAGoDA.
The funds provided by the EU come on top of the US$385 million allocated to the project in June this year, by the International Development Association (IDA), a subsidiary of the World Bank Group.
Earlier this year, the African Development Bank loaned US$233 million to the Cameroonian government for the implementation of the Cameroon-Chad Electricity Interconnection Project.
Upon completion, the project will result in the construction of a 225-kV high voltage line between Ngaoundéré, Maroua (Cameroon) and Ndjamena (Chad).
A 225-kV high-voltage line link will also be built to connect Maroua (Cameroon), Bongor, Guelendeng and Ndjamena (Chad).
A report by Africa Energy Portal revealed that the total length of the high-voltage cables to be connected is approximately 1,024 km (786 km in Cameroon and 238 km in Chad)
The project will also include Medium-voltage high-voltage transformer stations which will be built along the voltage lines to enable the establishment of distribution networks for rural electrification.
According to the AfDB, the interconnection of electricity generation and transmission facilities in Cameroon and Chad will lead to significant gains in production costs for the direct benefit of national electricity companies.
The project will also, through the electrification of localities bordering the interconnection lines, increase the rate of access to electricity in the two countries and will generally contribute to the improvement of living conditions of the populations and the fight against poverty.
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