Cameroon Adds 764 MW of Power Capacity but Remains Far Short of Its Target

Cameroon increased its installed electricity generation capacity by 50.4% in five years to an estimated 2,280 MW at the end of 2025, but the country remains 1,220 MW short of the government’s interim target as structural supply, grid and financial constraints persist.

Installed capacity rose by 764 MW from 1,516 MW in 2020, according to the government’s 2027-2029 Medium-Term Economic and Budget Programming Document (DPEB), prepared for the budget policy debate. The government attributes much of the increase to new hydropower infrastructure.

The largest addition is the 420 MW Nachtigal hydropower plant. Commissioning of its seven 60 MW generating units was completed in March 2025. Now fully operational, the plant supplies power to the Southern Interconnected Grid and alone accounts for nearly one-fifth of the installed capacity reported by the government at the end of 2025.

The 30 MW power plant at the foot of the Lom Pangar dam also contributed to the increase. The facility, which supplies the Eastern Interconnected Grid, began operations in May 2023 before its individual units progressively came online.

Together, Nachtigal and Lom Pangar account for 450 MW of new capacity. They therefore represent a substantial share, but not all, of the 764 MW added between 2020 and 2025.

Another 1,220 MW Needed to Reach the Interim Target

Despite the increase, Cameroon remains well below the government’s ambitions. At 2,280 MW, installed capacity represents about 65% of the 3,500 MW interim target.

The DPEB acknowledges a persistent “structural electricity supply deficit,” compounded by grid losses and accumulated unpaid bills. These problems weigh on the financial viability of the electricity sector at a time when the government has taken full control of Eneo.

On May 4, 2026, the company became Société camerounaise d’électricité (SOCADEL), a state-owned company wholly controlled by the government. Authorities have presented the takeover in part as a tool to restore the sector’s financial health and improve electricity services.

The government also plans further upgrades to transmission and distribution networks. One objective outlined in the DPEB is to provide stable and competitive electricity to industries in the Kribi and Douala-Bassa areas.

More Than 1,600 MW of Hydropower Projects in the Pipeline

To increase electricity supply over the medium and long term, the government has retained several major hydropower projects in its investment pipeline. The DPEB lists Kikot, with planned capacity of 500 MW; Minkouma, at 300 MW; Chollet, at 600 MW; Bini à Warak, at 90 MW; and Mbakaou.

Their inclusion in the 2027-2029 program does not mean they will become operational during that period. The Priority Investment Program attached to the DPEB, for example, schedules Kikot for implementation between 2028 and 2032. Minkouma is planned for 2029-2034, Bini à Warak for 2029-2033 and Chollet for 2029-2036.

The government also plans to strengthen infrastructure needed to carry new electricity supply across the country. Projects include the 225 kV Ebolowa-Kribi, 90 kV Mbalmayo-Mekin, 400 kV Nachtigal-Bafoussam and 225 kV KPDC-Port of Kribi transmission lines, along with increased transformer capacity at substations.

Plans also include 5,000 km of 30 kV three-phase backbone distribution lines for rural communities and a solar electrification program covering 200 localities.

Cameroon’s challenge therefore extends beyond adding generation capacity. The 50% increase since 2020 will need sufficient transmission and distribution infrastructure, as well as stronger sector finances, if the additional megawatts are to translate into more reliable electricity supplies for households and businesses.

Thierry Christophe Yamb