Eranove Group Signs Concession Agreement For Construction Of New Power Plant In Côte d’Ivoir

The Eranove Group, which is a Pan-African industrial group, on Wednesday, signed a concession agreement with the Ivorian government for the financing, design, construction, operation, and maintenance of a new power plant, named Atinkou. In Ebrié language, Atinkou means the house of light.

The new Atinkou power plant, which will be built in the town of Jacqueville near Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, will be similar to the one developed by Ciprel, a flagship of the Eranove Group and a leading operator of electricity production in Côte d’Ivoire. Ciprel is the largest independent electricity producer (IPP) in West Africa and the largest in the WAEMU zone.

Atinkou will have an installed capacity of 390 MW. It is also referred to as Ciprel 5 with reference to the four units of this plant operated since 1994. The new power plant will use the combined cycle gas-steam technology for increased energy efficiency. It will also introduce the first class F gas turbines in sub-Saharan Africa.

The use of advanced technology will increase electricity production without additional gas consumption. As a result, the cost of electricity production will get optimized and the amount of CO2 released into the atmosphere will also reduce.

The Atinkou / Ciprel 5 project is expected to generate 2,500 direct jobs in the construction phase and 100 direct jobs in the exploitation phase.

“This plant is part of the government’s desire to strengthen the power generation capacity in the region through new units entrusted to experienced private partners to enable Côte d’Ivoire to double its energy capacity by reaching 4,000 MW by 2020 and consolidating its position as an energy “hub” in the region, “said  Mr. Abdourahmane Cissé, the Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies.

The Ciprel power plant together with Atinkou power plant will take the pan-African industrial group Eranove to the leading position with nearly 1 GW of IPP production capacity, for a total of 1,640 MW, including the seven hydroelectric and thermal power plants operated by the CIE.

“The rise of the Eranove Group both as an independent producer and as the delegated manager of public services in the water and electricity sectors reflects the strength of our industrial capacities, particularly characterized by the mastery of the combined cycle gas-steam, the strength of our model based on African expertise and skills and the quality of our relations with the authorities of Côte d’Ivoire that we want to thank here, “said Marc Albérola, CEO of  Eranove Group.