Singrobo-Ahouaty, West Africa's first privately-funded hydropower plant project, is 78.93% complete as of end-March 2023, the African Development Bank has announced. After three years of construction, the project has achieved significant progress, symbolizing private sector mobilization for climate and green growth in the region.
The project is funded by €90.7 million in loans and €43.6 million in equity, with the African Development Bank Group contributing €40 million in loan co-financing. Other financiers include Africa Finance Corporation, Neo Themis, IHE Holdings, DEG, and the Emerging Africa Infrastructures Fund.
The last structures of the plant, including cofferdams and sluice gates, have been installed, and the installation of power turbines and alternators is set to begin shortly. The construction of the spillway and tailrace is in progress, with approximately one million cubic meters dug into the rock and 85,000 cubic meters of concrete poured. The project is expected to be commissioned in the first quarter of 2024.
Upon completion, the hydropower plant will provide electricity to 100,000 households and reduce Côte d'Ivoire's CO2 emissions by 109,000 tons annually. The project is expected to create 500 jobs during the construction phase, including 150 skilled jobs, and 28 jobs during the operational phase.
In addition to providing clean energy, the project includes the construction of a 4km access road, rehabilitation of health centers, and the supply of drinking water to two nearby villages. The facility will diversify Côte d'Ivoire's energy mix, with the government aiming to generate 42% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
