Read more about Gabon’s growing hydrocarbon sector and more in the Africa Energy Series Special Report: Gabon 2020 – the leading investor resource for tracking the country’s current and future movements within the sector. Download the report and other AES Special Reports here.
Gabon is one of Africa’s pioneers when it comes to oil exploration and production. A new oil and gas code was adopted in 2019 and well-received by the industry due to its incentives for both major foreign operators as well as local players. With 12 production sharing contracts signed in the last two years and many expressions of interests, Gabon’s hydrocarbon sector is set to heighten in the short term, leading the entire economy upwards with it.
Hydroelectric Dams
Gabon plans to increase hydroelectric production from the current 711 megawatts to 1,200 megawatts by 2022. A number of dam projects are currently producing electricity, including the Grand Poubara Dam in the Haut-Ogooué region built by Chinese power company Sinohydro. To reach its ambitious hydropower goals, the country’s renewable energy development company is working on a number of hydroelectric dam projects, such as the dam on the Ngounié River, which should produce 70 MW and will be built by the China Gezhouba Group Corporation and the 34MW Kinguélé dam, which is being developed by Asonha Energy, a joint venture between the French Meridiam and Gabon Power Company.
Ndjolé Power Plant
The Ndjolé power plant is the first of a series of hybrid plants driven by Gabon’s Caisse des Dépôts et Con- signations (CDC). The CDC is the owner of the plant and signed a hire purchase agreement with Gabon’s Energy and Water Company, which will operate and maintain it for a pe- riod of 15 years.
