AA / Bamako / Amarana Maiga
The Gouina hydroelectric dam in the Kayes region of southern Mali, with a capacity of 140 megawatts and an average capacity of 607 gigawatts/hour, was inaugurated on Saturday by Mali’s acting Prime Minister Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga, in the presence of his counterparts Bernard Goumou from the Republic of Guinea, Mohamed Ould Bilal from the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and Amadou Ba from the Republic of Senegal.
Gouina’s hydroelectric infrastructure was built by the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS), with a capacity of 140 megawatts (MW).
“The dam has a nominal installed capacity of 140 megawatts and an average producible of 607 gigawatts/hour. Its total cost is about 284 billion CFA francs (454 million dollars) including 248.9 billion CFA francs (398 million dollars) financed by Eximbank of China and 34.5 billion CFA francs (54 million dollars). dollars) by the Manantali Energy Management Company (SOGEM),” declared Colonel Abdoulaye Maïga, Acting Prime Minister.
“This production associated with that of the Félou power plant will increase Manantali’s production capacity from 200 to 340 megawatts”, he added.
For his part, the Minister of Mines, Energy and Water of Mali Lamine Seydou Traoré, indicated that “this work which is already filled with water and which has begun to inject the first megawatts into the electricity networks of the three countries which are shareholders of SOGEM, will make it possible to strengthen the production of energy in these countries, but beyond the strengthening of energy, it should make it possible to reduce the cost of production a little for the companies of our three countries “.
He affirms that “the 140 megawatts will be divided equally between the energy companies of Mali, Guinea, Mauritania and Senegal”.
Colonel Abdoulaye Maiga paid “a vibrant tribute to the Founding Fathers of the OMVS who, in a visionary spirit, met on March 24, 1968 in Labé, Guinea, to approve the general statute of the Organization of Senegal River”, adding that “this act of faith by Presidents Feu Ahmed Sékou Toure, Modibo Keïta, Moctar Ould Daddah and Léopold Sédar Senghor, was decisive in the development of the Senegal River basin and the integration of the peoples who live there. . They have undoubtedly marked the history of the continent, through the creation of the OMVS which has proven to be one of the best tools for sub-regional integration”.
In addition, Maiga invited “the authorities of the Organization for the Development of the Senegal River (OMVS) to redouble their efforts so that our largest hydroelectric dam, namely Koukoutamba in Guinea, is built. This is a strong expectation of the Member States and a pressing and legitimate request from the local populations. In addition, it is also urgent to develop, in parallel, the sites of Boureya, Niagara, Badoumbé and the micro-power plants in Guinea”.
The OMVS today has 4 joint structures to its credit, namely the Diama dam built in 1986 in the Senegal River Delta, about 26 km upstream from Saint-Louis, Diama is an anti-salt structure which prevents the intrusion of sea water into the river. To this end, it guarantees the availability of fresh water for irrigation, drinking water and the filling of lakes and depressions.
The Manantali hydroelectric dam (200MW) built in 1988 on the Bafing and the power plant in 2002. Manantali is a multi-purpose dam. It provides Mali, Mauritania and Senegal with an energy of around 800 Gwh/year. It also plays a role in regulating the flow of water from the river, thus contributing to the development of irrigated crops and the navigability of the Senegal River.
The Félou power plant: located in Kayes, Mali, was commissioned in 2013. With an installed capacity of 60 MW, Félou allows the reinforcement of hydroelectric production in the Member States but also the development of the interconnected network of Manantali.
And, finally, the Gouïna hydroelectric dam in the Kayes region in southern Mali inaugurated this Saturday.
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