Ivory Coast: a floating thermal power plant in the Ébrié lagoon

The Ébrié lagoon on the outskirts of the capital Abidjan (Illustrative image).

© Wikimedia Commons CC BY SA 4.0 Pierrekonan

Text by: RFI Follow

1 min

Côte d'Ivoire will strengthen its electricity production by leasing a floating electricity production unit, called "

Powership

".

In 2021, the country suffered power cuts for four months, which put the industrial sector in difficulty.

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With our correspondent in Abidjan,

The liner will drop anchor in the Ébrié lagoon in the port area, just opposite the large Azito power plant, located in the municipality of Yopougon.

The electricity production unit using liquefied natural gas (LNG) is on board the ship.

The floating plant has a capacity of approximately 202 MW.

The electricity produced will be sent to the Azito complex through an 800 m line.

In 2021, the country suffered four months of

daily power cuts, up to eight hours a day in some neighborhoods.

The reason was in particular a series of breakdowns on the gas turbine of the Azito power plant and the drying up of the hydraulic dams.

145 large industrial companies had been subject to a load shedding plan.

An electricity deficit that had weighed heavily on the national economy.

many questions

The delays in the extension works of the Azito power plant and the arrival of the dry season could explain the government's choice to lease this floating unit.

But many questions remain unanswered about the signing of this contract.

With which company was this contract signed?

How long will the concession last?

Are there any environmental risks?

The government did not respond.

►Also read: In Côte d'Ivoire, solar panels for the Orange "data center" with a view to carbon neutrality

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• Ivory Coast

• Energies