Northern Cameroon Faces Longer Wait for Strategic Bini à Warak Power Project

Construction of the Bini à Warak hydro-solar power project, planned for more than a decade in Cameroon’s Adamawa Region, is now expected to begin in 2029. According to Annex 4 of the 2027-2029 Priority Investment Program, attached to the government’s Medium-Term Economic and Budgetary Programming Document, the project will be developed as a public-private partnership (PPP) at an estimated cost of CFA393 billion, with completion scheduled for 2033.

The revised timeline confirms that the project has moved forward administratively but pushes back the operational launch of infrastructure considered critical to strengthening electricity supply in northern Cameroon. The government lists Bini à Warak among the energy projects expected to expand installed generation capacity, alongside Kikot, Minkouma, Chollet, Mbakaou, and Pont Rail. The planning document assigns the project a capacity of 90 MW, while developer Savannah Energy describes it as a hybrid hydro-solar complex capable of generating up to 95 MW.

The updated schedule comes shortly after a key milestone in land acquisition. Between June 26 and June 29, 2026, residents of 19 villages in Ngan-Ha received a total of CFA985 million in compensation for property affected by the project. The payments covered 736 people impacted by land needed for access roads, transmission lines, and related infrastructure, nearly a decade after those eligible were first identified.

The long delay reflects the project’s difficult history. Initially awarded to Sinohydro Corporation in 2013, Bini à Warak was designed as a 75 MW hydropower plant to strengthen electricity supply in the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions. Construction stalled after financing was suspended in 2019, prompting the government to sign a memorandum of understanding with Savannah Energy to redevelop the project as an independent power producer.

Savannah Energy has since redesigned the project as a hybrid hydro-solar facility. According to the company, the complex will include a dam on the Bini River, a reservoir, hydropower facilities, substations, transmission infrastructure, and a 40 MW solar plant connected to the Northern Interconnected Grid. Hydropower generation will complement solar output to provide a more stable electricity supply throughout the day.

The difference between the government’s 90 MW estimate and Savannah Energy’s 95 MW target may reflect either conservative planning assumptions or a project design that is still being finalized. Savannah Energy says the project could increase generation capacity on the Northern Interconnected Grid by more than 50%. The company is targeting financial close in the third quarter of 2028, first solar generation in 2030, and hydropower production roughly four years after the project’s final investment decision.

Including Bini à Warak in the 2027-2029 Priority Investment Program signals continued government support but does not guarantee rapid execution. Construction remains contingent on securing financing, completing the PPP structure, finalizing technical studies, acquiring the remaining land, and connecting the project to the national grid.

The stakes extend beyond electricity generation. Northern Cameroon continues to face recurring power shortages despite support from the Lagdo dam and the Maroua and Guider solar plants. Bini à Warak is expected to improve electricity supply for households while supporting more energy-intensive economic activity across the Adamawa, North, and Far North regions.

For the government, the project will also test the effectiveness of alternative infrastructure financing. The Medium-Term Economic and Budgetary Programming Document acknowledges that PPPs and project finance have so far delivered mixed results, with some projects creating fiscal risks instead of easing pressure on public finances.

Bini à Warak ultimately illustrates the challenge facing many major infrastructure projects in Cameroon: despite being recognized as strategic and reaching the compensation stage in 2026 after years of delays, construction is now expected to begin only in 2029. Unless financing is secured more quickly, northern Cameroon will have to wait several more years before the project delivers its first electricity.

Amina Malloum