- The Gabonese Energy and Water Company (SEEG), has started rehabilitation work on the Bongolo hydro power station.
- The power station, originally constructed in 1992 in the Ngounié province has fallen into disrepair over the years through a lack of maintenance.
- The project entails the replacement of the five faulty turbines of the facility with new equipment as well as the renewal of the safety and security equipment of the turbines, the hydro-mechanical structures, and the G1 and G2 groups of the dam.
In a press announcement, Alain Patrick Kouma – managing director of the SEEG, confirmed that the refurbishment works will allow the plant to regain its initial power of 5 MW contrary to the 2.5 MW it has been generating during the past 10 years as a result of lack of maintenance.
Upon completion in 24 months’ time, the project is expected to secure the electricity supply to the inhabitants of the towns of Mouila and Ndéndé in the province of Ngounié, as well as to the populations of Tchibanga, in the province of Nyanga in the south of Gabon. It will also help to strengthen and secure the Interconnected Network (RIC) of the Louétsi department in the Ngounié province.
The USD 12.7M project, which also includes the construction of a drinking water plant at Val Marie, has been funded by the SEEG under its 2020 emergency water and electricity plan.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal