The future high-voltage transmission line between the Nachtigal dam and Wouro Soua, carried by revolutionary carbon-based conductors, is part of the Cameroon-Chad Electricity Grid Interconnection Project (Pirect). This colossal project, supported by many international partners, promises to improve access to electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and strengthen energy integration in the sub-region.
With 524 km of 225 kV double-circuit high-voltage overhead lines, the Nachtigal-Wouro Soua link becomes the backbone of an ambitious project aimed at interconnecting the electricity grids of Cameroon and Chad. This project, financed to the tune of 557.5 billion FCFA by institutions such as the World Bank, the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank, constitutes a strategic step towards regional energy integration. The line will allow Cameroon to export up to 100 MW of electricity to neighboring Chad, while ensuring a better distribution of energy between the South and the North of the country, currently served by two separate networks.
Drivers at the forefront of innovation
The choice of HVCRC conductors developed by Epsilon Composite marks a major technological advance. Unlike traditional steel-aluminium conductors (ACSR), these innovative cables use a carbon fibre core, which is both stronger and lighter. This choice, supported by partners such as Dervaux, reduces electrical resistance by 30%, doubles thermal capacity and improves conductivity. In addition, the integration of annealed aluminium into their structure allows for more environmentally friendly transmission, by significantly reducing associated greenhouse gas emissions.
Local impact: electrification and social inclusion
Beyond the interconnection, the project includes the electrification of 110 villages located along the line route, with social support measures to improve access to energy. Four transformer stations will be built in Ntui, Yoko, Tibati and Wouro Soua, thus strengthening the resilience of the national grid.
Nachtigal Dam at the Heart of Transformation
This project is based on the Nachtigal hydroelectric dam, a pillar of Cameroon’s energy strategy. Currently in its final phase, it is already injecting 240 MW into the Southern Interconnected Network (RIS) and will soon reach its maximum capacity of 420 MW, covering nearly 30% of the RIS’s needs. However, the optimal exploitation of this energy will depend on the commissioning of the Nachtigal-Wouro Soua line. This essential link will make it possible to transport electricity to the northern regions and beyond national borders.
Scheduled for 2027, this interconnection marks a turning point for Cameroon and Chad. Thanks to cutting-edge infrastructure and strengthened international cooperation, this project promises a reduction in energy inequalities, increased regional integration and a transition to more sustainable solutions.
