YAOUNDE, Cameroon -(Dow Jones)-The Kribi Power Development Corp.
has started supplying electricity to boost aluminum output at
Cameroon's sole smelter, a statement issued through Cameroon state
radio by the company said Wednesday.
The 41 megawatts additional power supply is part of 155-216 MW
of generating capacity for Cameroonian industrial and household
consumption to be created by two gas-fired thermal plants under
construction by the KPDC.
Cameroon government owns 44% of the KPDC, while the remainder
56% is controlled by AES Corp. (AES). AES bought 56% of Cameroon's
former state-owned electricity firm, the National Electricity
Corporation, or Sonel, in 2001 to become AES-Sonel.
Alucam, an affiliate of Rio Tinto PLC (RTP), depends on
AES-Sonel, which owns KPDC, to power its aluminum production of
90,000 metric tons a year. Due to inadequate power supply, the
smelter has temporarily stopped production.
Alucam and AES-Sonel reached an agreement earlier August to get
its energy supply raised by September to stabilize aluminum
output.
-By Emmanuel Tumanjong, contributing to Dow Jones Newswires;
+237-7773-1930, +237-9655-6261; tnuel@yahoo.com