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Cote D'Ivoire: Power production capacity reaches 2,000MW

Cote D'Ivoire: Power production capacity reaches 2,000MW

Ivory Coast

Ivory Coast’s electricity generation capacity has reached new highs of 2,000 megawatts, following the inauguration of a new thermal power plant on Wednesday.

CIPREL, Ivory Coast’s electricity generation company, and a subsidiary of Emerging Capital Partners, completed a project on Wednesday to increase its total capacity by 234 megawatts (MW) to a total of 556 MW in a bid to meet fast-growing domestic and regional demand, reports Reuters.

The 225 billion $382.15 million project, which includes a steam and a heat turbine has taken over two years for compeltion and makes CIPREL the country’s biggest independent producer of electricity.

“We not only have a little more electricity in abundance, but we also have electricity of good quality for the Ivorians and to also export to neighbouring countries,” said President Alasane Outtara.

Ivory Coast already exports electricity to Ghana, Mali, Togo and Burkina Faso and remains on course to win the battle for lower costs of electricity.

‘‘Our long-term goal has been to reduce electricity costs. We are not yet there but we’ll get there,’‘ Ouattara reassured.

The Ivorian government now aims to push the capacity to 4,000 MW by 2020. Exports to its neighbours have been declining in recent years as domestic demand has outpaced new power generation.

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