ABIDJAN, Jan. 26 (Xinhua) -- Cote d'Ivoire will reinforce electricity
supply to Benin and Togo with an annual supply of 138 GWh of electricity
to the company charged with the production and transportation of electricity
to the two countries, Benin Electricity Company (CEB).
The signing of the agreement for the supply of 138 GWh with an annual
supply of 17 megawatts (MW) starting Jan. 25, took place in Abidjan on
Friday.
During the signing ceremony, the Cote d'Ivoire side was represented
by officials from the General Energy Department (DGE), the Cote d'Ivoire
Energies Company (CI-Energies) and the Cote d'Ivoire Electricity Company
(CIE) and the other side was represented by CEB and the Ghana Electricity
Company (GRIDCo).
Speaking during the event, Cote d'Ivoire's Energy Minister Adama Toungara
said that during peak hours, the country will supply 10 MW, 15 MW during
working days and 20 MW during week-ends.
"This will not interfere with the energy supply within the Cote
d'Ivoire national territory, there will be no power cuts," he promised.
Currently, Cote d'Ivoire supplies electricity to Burkina Faso, Mali
and Ghana which in turn supplies energy to Benin and Togo.
With the expected construction of Soubre hydroelectric dam in South-West
Cote d'Ivoire at a total cost of 331 billion Fcfa which will be funded
upto 85 percent by China, the country's energy output is expected to
reach 1,400 MW and this will enable it to export electricity to other
West African countries like Guinea and Liberia.
Construction work on Soubre hydroelectric dam is scheduled to begin
in February and be completed by the end of 2017.