The African Development Bank (ADB) is supporting Madagascar’s bid to strengthen its electricity grid.
Loan agreements to this effect were signed on November 15.
They are part of the second phase of the project for the reinforcement and interconnection of electricity transmission networks in the Indian Ocean island nation.
With the financing of the African Development Bank (AfDB), Madagascar will be able to carry out “the design, construction, operation and transfer of the Sahofika hydroelectric power plant of 205 megawatts on the Onive River, 100 kilometers southeast of the capital, Antananarivo”, said a statement seen by APA on Friday.
Besides, it is planned to build a 220 kV power line over 135 kilometers between Antananarivo and Antsirabe with a capacity of 300 megawatts.
For Kevin Kariuki, AfDB Vice President in charge of Electricity, Energy, Climate and Green Growth, “the various commitments signed reinforce the optimism for Madagascar’s energy sector. They guarantee the timely delivery of energy to be produced at Sahofika, thus eliminating the risk associated with energy payments, which sometimes occurs in the case of independent projects that are often subject to disputes.”
Adam Amoumoun, AfDB Country Manager in Madagascar, said that the financial institution “will remain one of the key players in supporting (the island’s) efforts to develop the electricity sector.”
The second phase of the Electricity Transmission System Reinforcement and Interconnection Project is expected to increase the national rate of access to electricity to 30 percent with about “42,000 new beneficiaries.”
Finally, more than 300 direct jobs, 30 percent of which are reserved for women, should be generated by the implementation of the program at a total cost of about €101 million.
“The African Development Bank has played the role of lead agency for the preparation of the project by financing the feasibility studies and mobilizing partners for co-financing, namely the European Investment Bank (EIB) and the OPEC Fund for International Development (OFID),” the statement concluded.
ID/fss/as/APA