On April 28, Altaaqa Global’s temporary natural gas power plants, with a joint capacity of 50 MW, were inaugurated at the Logbaba power plant site in Douala, Cameroon. The ceremony was attended by Dr Atangana Kouna Basile, Cameroon’s Minister of Water Resources and Energy, members of the government, and senior executives from Eneo Cameroon S.A. – the country’s integrated utility company – and Gaz du Cameroun (GDC), a wholly owned subsidiary of Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG). The rental gas power plants were installed and commissioned within just 21 days from the arrival of the equipment at the intended power plant sites.
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Eugene Lee, Construction Director of Eneo, H.E. Atangana
Kouna Basile, Cameroon’s Minister of Water Resources and Energy, Majid Zahid,
Strategic Director of Altaaqa Global, Kevin Foo, CEO of Victoria Oil & Gas,
Joel Nana Kontchou, CEO of Eneo
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Collaborative Business Model
The successful completion of the temporary gas power plants stands as a testament to the viability of a synergetic business model featuring contributions from the government, the utility company, the fuel supplier and the equipment provider. The Cameroonian government and Eneo were the clients in this particular project, with Altaaqa Global providing the power generation equipment and taking responsibility for importing and installing the generators at the Logbaba and Ndokoti (Bassa) sites, while GDC supplied the gas to the rental gas power stations at both sites.
Against this backdrop, Peter den Boogert, CEO of Altaaqa Global, said: “We are very proud to have been involved in this project, and to have collaborated with Cameroon’s government, Eneo and GDC. Altaaqa Global is greatly honored to have contributed to Cameroon’s national energy strategy, and to have had the chance to promote the greater good of the Cameroonian nation. The success of this project proves that creating synergy among entities that value service and integrity above their own interests means that anything can be achieved. Here, we have witnessed that as a whole we are greater than the sum of our parts”
The business model also proved to be economically beneficial to the service providers, being referred to as “a true game-changer” by Kevin Foo, CEO of VOG, who continued: “[Through the agreement with Eneo] We have secured a major near-term user of gas for our operations in Cameroon, and we are now becoming an active part of the equation in Cameroon’s energy sector.”
Environmentally Friendly Technology
In addition to the collaborative business model that led to its successful completion, the project can also boast of its environmental stewardship, with the power plants being run on natural gas.
Altaaqa Global installed state-of-the-art gas engine generators at both sites to ensure that the power plants are not only dependable, but also environmentally friendly. In recognition of international emission requirements, which mandate the level of NOx emissions of equipment and industrial operations, Altaaqa Global engineered its gas generators so that an emissions threshold of 250 mg/Nm3 is not exceeded – even without after-treatment.
Speaking on the sustainability of the project, Majid Zahid, Strategic Accounts Director of Altaaqa Global, said: “Our temporary gas power plant systems meet the requirements of worldwide emissions standards and do not harm the environment. These rental gas plants are designed for performance and reliability, while simultaneously being more environmentally friendly compared to systems running on other fuels. Because the generators run on natural gas, they do not require expensive after-treatment, therefore making them more economical to operate owing to more cost-effective fuel prices.” He added that gas systems were more flexible in terms of fuel usage, and would retain their efficiencies even with different fuel varieties.
Cameroon’s Road to Economic Development
Electricity is vital to ensuring the on-going development of economies and industries – especially in emerging countries such as Cameroon. With the successful completion of these temporary gas power plants, the entire country will be provided with a reliable and sustainable source of electricity that will power Cameroon as it works to enhance its infrastructure and construct additional facilities to support its industries.
In this context, Joel Nana Kontchou, CEO of Eneo, said, “This project addresses the shortage in the country’s electricity supply that has been caused by a strong increase in demand, combined with a lack of a reserve in the electricity infrastructure. We are pleased to work with GDC and Altaaqa: Two companies that share our deep commitment to responding to Cameroon’s critical infrastructure needs.”
Cameroon’s economy has weathered the drop in prices among its principal exports – petroleum, cocoa, coffee and cotton – and has remained largely stable in recent years. In 2013, its GDP growth reached 4.9%, and experts predict that, so long as there are strong performances from the construction, oil & gas, transport, telecommunication and hospitality sectors, it will remain at around that level through 2015. Cameroon’s government has been working to promote growth and employment in the country through continuous development of energy, transportation and telecommunications infrastructure, and is also eager to modernize the country’s production equipment and processes – particularly in the agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
About Altaaqa Global
Altaaqa Global, a subsidiary of Zahid Group, has been selected by Caterpillar Inc. to deliver multi-megawatt turnkey temporary power solutions worldwide. The company owns, mobilizes, installs, and operates efficient temporary independent power plants (IPP’s) at customer sites, focusing on the emerging markets of Sub-Sahara Africa, Central Asia, the Indian Subcontinent, Latin America, South East Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa. Offering power rental equipment that will operate with different types of fuel such as diesel, natural gas, or dual-fuel, Altaaqa Global is positioned to rapidly deploy and provide temporary power plant solutions, delivering electricity whenever and wherever it may be needed.
About Zahid Group
Zahid Group represents a diverse range of companies, offering comprehensive, customer-centric solutions in a number of thriving industries. Some of those include construction; mining; oil & gas; agriculture; power, electricity & water generation; material handling; building materials; transportation & logistics; real estate development; travel & tourism; waste management & recycling; and hospitality.
About Eneo Cameroon S.A.
Cameroon’s long-term electricity operator, Eneo (formerly AES-SONEL) is a semi-public company with 56% shares owned by Actis Group and 44% by the State of Cameroon. Eneo has an installed generation capacity of 968 MW. Its transport network connects 24 substations and includes 1,944.29 km of high voltage lines, 15,081.48 km of medium voltage lines and 15,209.25 km of low voltage lines. Its distribution network consists of 11,450 km of lines of 5.5 to 33 KV and 11,158 km of lines of 220-380 kV. Eneo has more than 973,250 customers, of which approximately 45% live in the cities of Douala and Yaoundé. Eneo employs 3,698 permanent staff.
About VOG and GDC
Victoria Oil & Gas (VOG) is an energy utility business and hydrocarbon producer, with energy supply operations in the industrial port city of Douala in Cameroon. The Company generates revenue through its 60% ownership of onshore gas production wells, and its energy utility subsidiary, Gaz du Cameroun S.A. (GDC), supplies cost effective, clean and reliable energy products to major industries in the region. Customers are primarily supplied with gas through an extensive pipeline network built by GDC in the Douala area. GDC products currently include thermal gas, condensate and gas for gas-fired electricity generation. GDC gas is attractive to customers due to its reliability, competitive price, low hydrocarbon emissions (compared to Heavy Fuel Oil) and adaptability to meet varied power requirement needs.
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