• Gabon utility denies unpaid Equatorial Guinea electricity debt claims

• Disputed 235 million CFA francs linked to invoice verification process

• Cross-border power supply to rise to 5 MW from Feb. 9

Gabon's state-owned electricity and water utility, Société d'Énergie et d'Eau du Gabon (SEEG), has denied reports of outstanding debt related to electricity supplies from Equatorial Guinea. In a statement released on Sunday, February 8, the Gabonese operator said it is meeting its contractual obligations under the cross-border power interconnection agreement with its neighbor.

The statement follows claims of financial arrears linked to electricity exported to northern Gabon. On Tuesday, February 3, Equatorial Guinea's Office of Information and Press announced that parts of the invoices for electricity exported to northern Gabon remained unpaid.

The reports said the outstanding balance stood at approximately 235 million CFA francs (around $390,000). They added that Gabon had made payments totaling over 270 million CFA francs (approximately $450,000) through its national electricity operator. Equatorial Guinean authorities stated that the unpaid amount represented the remaining balance owed for actual supply.

In response, SEEG said the amounts in question correspond to invoices currently being corrected by the Equatorial Guinean electricity company, in accordance with provisions set out in the bilateral agreement. SEEG said payment will be processed once final amounts are validated following completion of technical adjustments. The company emphasized that this does not constitute a refusal to pay or an outstanding debt, but rather a standard verification process under the agreement's implementation framework.

The Gabon-Equatorial Guinea electricity interconnection, commissioned in late February 2025, is based on a cross-border transmission line linking the Equatorial Guinean town of Ebebiyín to Bitam in northern Gabon. The electricity transmitted originates from the Djibloho hydroelectric plant in Equatorial Guinea.

At the project's launch, delivery capacity was set at approximately 3 megawatts (MW). This capacity supplies several Gabonese localities near the border, including Bitam and Oyem. The agreement provides for a gradual increase in supply volumes, with a target of up to 10 MW depending on demand growth and grid capacity. The project aims to strengthen electricity supply in a region long dependent on diesel-powered thermal plants. Importing hydroelectric power is expected to improve service continuity and reduce reliance on diesel generators.

The interconnection operates within a bilateral energy cooperation framework that sets out terms for electricity supply, billing and payment between the two countries. Gabon Review reported that discussions between Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have resulted in an agreement to increase delivery capacity. Starting February 9, the volume of electricity supplied will rise to 5 MW, within the current contractual ceiling of 8 MW.

Abdel-Latif Boureima