Cameroon aims to achieve 5,000 MW of power generation by 2030. Subsidies from the ROGEAP project are seen as key levers to reach this ambitious goal.
Call for Renewable Energy SMEs
In Cameroon, a call for expressions of interest from renewable energy SMEs has been open since late May, aiming to subsidize and stimulate the development of off-grid solar installations across the country.
This initiative falls under the World Bank-funded ROGEAP (Regional Off-Grid Electricity Access Project). According to a statement by Gaston Eloundou Essomba, the Minister of Water and Energy, it offers three distinct types of subsidies: matching grants, market entry grants, and performance-based grants.
Supporting Promising Start-ups and Market Entry
The first subsidy targets promising young renewable energy companies, supporting their innovative initiatives with grants ranging from $10,000 to $25,000 USD. The second subsidy is dedicated to facilitating market entry for businesses, fostering the rapid expansion of off-grid electricity access, particularly in underserved areas, with grants ranging from $50,000 to $150,000 USD.
Reaching Remote Areas
The third subsidy will support companies operating in hard-to-reach regions with grants ranging from $150,000 to $250,000 USD.
Cameroon heavily relies on hydropower, which accounts for over 60% of its energy mix, according to Investir au Cameroun. Renewable energies like solar, biomass, and wind contribute less than 5%, according to the minister.
Ambitious Renewable Energy Targets
However, the potential for renewable energy is vast. During the recent Forum on the Popularization of Renewable Energies, the minister reiterated Cameroon’s goal to increase the share of renewables (excluding hydroelectric plants with a capacity exceeding 5 MW) to 25% by 2035, representing an installed capacity of approximately 1,500 MW.
Improving Electricity Access and Reducing Disparities
The ROGEAP project aims to diversify the energy mix by promoting the widespread adoption of off-grid solar systems. This initiative promises not only to improve electricity access, which reached a coverage rate of 60.2% of the population in 2021-2022 (compared to 58.4% in 2014) according to the National Institute of Statistics, but also to reduce disparities between urban and rural areas where access remains limited to 28.4%.