A five-year-old dam is about to anchor one of Cameroon’s biggest energy projects. On August 12, 2026, Electricity Development Corporation (EDC) launched two tenders for detailed studies on a 400 MW hydro-solar complex around the Mbakaou site, in the Adamaoua region.
The combined budget for the two contracts, reserved for national bidders, is 1.45 billion FCFA — covering only technical, environmental and social studies, not construction itself.
The configuration from the feasibility study includes three units: 54 MW of hydropower upstream of the existing dam, 234 MW downstream, and 111 MW of solar. EDC says the layout could still change once the detailed studies are done.
The point of the hybrid setup is to offset seasonal water-flow swings with solar power — a recurring headache for Central African dams. At 400 MW, Mbakaou would rank among the country’s largest energy projects.
Its proximity to the Nigerian and Chadian borders feeds ambitions of electricity exports and regional integration. For the often-landlocked Adamaoua region, a stabilised grid would open the door to agro-industrial activity.
The project remains at the study stage, far from financing. Building 400 MW runs into the hundreds of billions of FCFA — a figure the 1.45 billion invested today only begins to sketch out on paper.
