The Soubré hydropower dam, Cote d’Ivoire’s biggest hydropower dam with a capacity of 275 MW, will come online in 2017, a year earlier than expected. Launched in 2013, the project which should have been completed in 2018 is 30% away from completion according to work assessment that a technical delegation recently carried out.

Located upstream the natural falls of the Sassandra River, the infrastructure is constructed by Chinese firm Sinohydro. It cost FCFA338 billion (about $568 million) of which 85% were financed by China and 15% by Cote d’Ivoire.

The dam’s construction falls under government’s energy policy which aims to increase national capacity by 100% to 4,000 MW by 2020 from 2,000 MW currently.

To achieve this, the government plans to build additional dams in Louaga (283 MW), Boutoubré (156 MW), Tiboto (220 MW) and Tayaboui (100 MW). Thermal stations will also be built in Abata (370 MW) Grand-Bassam (370 MW) and Songon (370 MW). The latter could see its capacity boosted to 1,000 MW in the long term.

Gwladys Johnson