Regional Integration Acceleration: Cameroon Launches Major Tenders for Cross-Border Power Link to Chad

In an official report covering the tender launch, Business in Cameroon details how state electricity transmission utility SONATREL has initiated twin procurement rounds for Component 2 of the bilateral Cameroon-Chad Power Interconnection Project (PIRECT). The procurement process calls for international contractors to deliver 419.6 km of 225-kV high-voltage lines split into two geographical lots, along with the construction and expansion of major sub-stations across northern nodes including Wouro-Soua, Garoua 2, Maroua, and Kousseri. Bidding proposals remain open through mid-November 2026, launching a 34-month construction timeline that pushes the operational timeline beyond previous expectations. The system will carry clean hydroelectricity—primarily produced at the 420-MW Nachtigal plant—to power-starved communities across northern Cameroon and deliver 100 MW directly into Chad.

The multi-tiered energy scheme carries a total price tag of 557.5 billion CFA francs (roughly $925 million USD), financed through structured multi-lateral packages from the World Bank Group and the African Development Bank. While Component 1 establishes the internal 524 km high-voltage transmission trunk connecting Cameroon’s Southern Interconnected Grid (RIS) to its Northern Interconnected Grid (RIN), Component 2 anchors the cross-border transmission pathway. In addition to expanding regional electricity access to nearly 500 rural localities along its corridor, the interconnector will significantly cut Chad’s heavy reliance on costly thermal energy generation. This bilateral infrastructure serves as a major building block for the broader Central African Power Pool, accelerating market integration across the Economic Community of Central African States (ECCAS).

However, the rollout takes place amid structural challenges in Cameroon’s domestic power sector, where operational bottlenecks continue to hinder generation distribution. Sector analysis published by African Arguments points out that despite notable increases in national generation capacity, heavy transmission losses, unbilled consumption, and liquidity shortages among public energy entities impede efficiency. Addressing these systemic infrastructure limitations will be critical as civil works progress to guarantee that generated megawatts flow seamlessly across the border. When fully realized within its revised timeline, the high-voltage network will mark a landmark achievement for South-South energy cooperation and industrial expansion across Central Africa.