PROVINCE OF WOLEU NTEM – GABON
« Chutes de Fe2 »
Hydro Power Plan
Project Summary Data
Owner :
CODER GABON
Owner engineer :
SEDEP
Type :
Medium head hydroelectric power plant. Water intake, with flushing gate and Craeger free sill. Transfer structure via two steel pipes to the regulation basin. Three penstocks feeding three horizontal Francis turbines.
Average flow of the Okano to the right of the site :
55 m3/s
Installed power :
3 x 18 MW (54 MW)
Turbines :
Horizontal axis Francis turbines
Production in an average year :
280 GWh
Injection of production :
90kV HT transmission line
Injection de la production :
225 kV transmission line
Duration of works :
2.5 years
Provisional commissioning date :
2nd half of 2025
The hydroelectric Power Plant of the FE2 falls, in the province of Woleu Ntem, is a project intended to provide renewable energy at lower cost to the populations, industries and future mining operations in the northern regions of Gabon.
This project aims to supply carbon-free energy to the towns of Mitzic, Oyem, Bitam, to the north, and Ndjolé and Bifoum to the south, before interconnecting with the future 225 kV Lambaréné – Libreville EHV network, created as part of the construction of the Chutes de l’Impératrice hydroelectric facility, also developed by CODER GABON.
The construction of the 90kV HV transmission line will allow interconnection with the Libreville network, guaranteeing the permanent availability of electricity for all the populations connected to this EHV network. The development of FE2 was planned over 2.5 years with an initial phase which will begin in 2023 with the implementation of the site facilities.
This run-of-the-river project, with no reservoir and therefore no dam, consists of a simple water intake diverting part of the Okano’s flows to a regulation basin by means of two steel transfer pipes, then by three penstocks, also in steel, towards the hydroelectric power station.
In the power station, three horizontal-axis Francis-type hydroelectric units with a unit capacity of 18 MW will be installed, bringing the total capacity of the facility to 54 MW.
The producible in an average year will be 280 GWh.
Economic and environmental benefits
The policy of sustainable development and energy independence led by the Gabonese Government pleads in favor of the production of renewable energy from clean, carbon-free and renewable energy sources, such as hydroelectricity.
Due to its run-of-river configuration, the FE2 hydroelectric development, which does not include a dam, will require neither the displacement of the population, nor the deforestation or flooding of agricultural land.
Completion of the project will prevent the release of a large quantity of C02 from polluting thermoelectric production sources, currently the only means of electricity production in northern Gabon.
As such, it meets the objectives of the Kyoto Protocol signed by Gabon.
