By: Business in Cameron

(Business in Cameroon) - Cameroon’s Minister of Water and Energy, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, officially launched construction works on August 6, 2025, for a new 225 kV high-voltage transmission line in Kribi, in the South region. The line, built by the national electricity transmission company Sonatrel, will link the 216 MW Kribi gas-fired power plant to a new 225 kV transformer substation under construction at the Kribi port.

Once completed by the end of 2026, the project will allow the exclusive supply of electricity to industries operating within the Kribi industrial-port zone, according to official sources.

The total investment is valued at CFA35 billion, though the cost of the transmission line alone was not disclosed. According to the Kribi Autonomous Port (PAK), the new substation will meet immediate demand estimated at 100 MW, while also preparing for future needs projected between 330 MW and 400 MW to support upcoming large-scale industrial operations.

In addition to the Kribi gas plant operated by Kribi Power Development Corporation (KPDC), the new substation will also be linked—via existing relay stations—to several other power facilities: Memve’ele (211 MW), Nachtigal (420 MW), Songloulou (384 MW), and Edéa (276 MW).

“This configuration ensures continuous operation even in case of disruption, providing maximum supply security for industrial users,” the port authority noted in a statement released August 5. It added that the substation will also solve current issues in evacuating electricity from Nachtigal to high-demand industrial areas.

Construction of the substation and the transmission line connecting it to the Kribi gas plant marks a key milestone in the development of the Kribi industrial-port zone and in Cameroon’s broader industrialization strategy.