Thermosun Moves CFAF500bn Cameroon Waste-to-Energy Project Forward

Thermosun Cameroon has signed a framework agreement with the Institute for Geological and Mining Research, IRGM, as it advances a waste-to-energy project valued at more than CFAF500 billion in Yaoundé, Douala and Ebolowa.

The agreement, signed on September 10, 2026, brings IRGM into the project to provide research and technical support, including waste characterization, energy and environmental studies, technology transfer and training.

According to state-owned Cameroon Tribune, the project is expected to process 1,866 tons of municipal waste per day and develop about 305 MW of energy capacity. It is also expected to produce hydrogen and other by-products from treated waste.

The project builds on one of two memorandums of understanding signed by the Cameroonian government on March 12, 2026, for waste-to-energy projects in Yaoundé and Douala. Thermosun’s agreement covered planned investment of CFAF276.8 billion, with processing capacity estimated at about 833 tons of waste per day.

IRGM is a public scientific and technical research institution under Cameroon’s Ministry of Scientific Research and Innovation. Under the September agreement, it will support laboratory analysis, waste characterization and scientific research linked to the project.

Thermosun also plans to establish a specialized vocational training center as part of the project, with IRGM contributing to youth training and technology transfer.

“IRGM will help us analyze and characterize the waste. It will also support the specialized vocational training center that we will establish under the project for youth training, technology transfer and scientific research,” Thermosun Director General Gaston Arios Djomkam said.

Hydrogen produced under the project is expected to serve industrial uses, including steelmaking.

The project comes as Cameroon works to expand its electricity supply and diversify its energy mix. In January 2025, the World Bank said the country was developing solar photovoltaic projects toward a combined installed capacity of 250 MW.

A World Bank-backed profile under the West Africa Coastal Areas program estimates municipal solid waste generation in Cameroon at 0.42 kilogram per person per day, equivalent at the time of the estimate to about 8,900 tons nationwide each day.

Mercy Fosoh