Besix Group wins contract to build Nachtigal power plant (420 MW) in Cameroon

Investing in Cameroon – Besix Groupthe Belgian construction company, announces that it has won the contract for the design and construction of the Nachtigal hydroelectric power plant in the Central region of Cameroon, with a generating capacity of 420 MW.

This infrastructure will increase the country's production capacity by 30%, according to the World Bankwhich is following the project through the International Finance Corporation (IFC)its subsidiary specialising in private sector financing.

Besix will carry out the work in cooperation with the French company ESN and the Moroccan VTS (General Labour Society Morocco).

The Nachtigal Hydro Power Company (NHPC), the capital of which will be divided between Cameroonian companies for 40% by EDF International, 30% by the State of Cameroon, and 30% by the International Finance Corporation, Nachtigal Hydro Power will cost about 656 billion CFA francs.

"The Nachtigal project, one of the very rare public-private partnerships (PPPs) that have emerged in the hydropower sector in sub-Saharan Africa, will accelerate the achievement of Cameroon's development goals, including poverty reduction."

Elisabeth Huybens, World Bank Director of Operations for Cameroon, said.

In a statement issued on 19 July 2018, in which the Bretton Woods institution announced the availability of a guarantee of $794.5 million (approximately FCFA 447.17 billion) as part of the implementation of this project.

The contract includes the design and construction of a 2 km long and up to 14 m high roller-compacted concrete dam, a 3 km long feeder canal and civil engineering works for the hydroelectric power station (with seven 60 MW turbines) and water intake facilities.

Work will begin by the end of the year and is expected to last 57 months. The project is financed by a pool of international and local banks

” We are very pleased to strengthen our activities in Africa in general and in Cameroon in particular “,

says Mathieu Dechamps, General Manager Business Unit International of BESIX Group. 

” We have already carried out a number of landmark projects in the country, including the Yaoundé hospital buildings, various ministries, the Pont de l'Enfance bridge, a spillway on the Sanaga river and various jetties in the port of Douala .
With our participation in the Nachtigal hydroelectric project, we are proud to contribute to the development of sustainable solutions. "