Cameroon has finally chosen its partners to develop the long-awaited Limbe combined-cycle gas-fired power plant, ending more than a decade of uncertainty over the project. After years of stalled talks and abandoned partnerships, the government last week announced that Sunon Asogli Power (Ghana) Ltd and the China Energy Engineering Corporation Ltd had been selected to build the 350-megawatt plant and associated infrastructure in the country’s southwest.
The decision closes a chapter that began as far back as 2014, when Cameroon signed a memorandum of understanding with the pan-African utility group Eranove to develop the same project. That agreement collapsed without progress, forcing the government back to the drawing board.
A fresh push came in May 2020, when the Ministry of Water and Energy launched a Restricted International Invitation to Tender for the construction of the plant.
Five international firms expressed interest, but by the August 2020 submission deadline, only four delivered complete bids. Over nearly two years of scrutiny, most were eliminated for non-compliant or incomplete offers. These included ACWA Power of the United Arab Emirates, Folder Energy Partners/China Machinery Engineering Corporation based in Douala, AKSA Enerji Uretim AS of Turkey, and the Power Construction Corporation of China.
By 2022, only the joint bid from Sunon Asogli Power and China Energy met the ministry’s technical and financial benchmarks. Scoring 81.7 points out of 100, the consortium was invited to pre-qualification dialogue. The government said their combined credentials, Sunon Asogli’s track record of operating successful gas-fired power plants in Ghana and China Energy’s engineering and project execution expertise, gave them a decisive edge.
Despite this progress, the project stalled again, largely due to protracted consultations on financial structuring, legal frameworks, and environmental assessments. Political and economic headwinds also played a role, delaying contract award.
The breakthrough finally came in August 2025, when the government formally confirmed the consortium’s selection. The project will be delivered as a public–private partnership at a cost of CFA 176 billion (about $312 million). The state will contribute CFA 26 billion (15%), while the private partners cover the balance. Construction is expected to begin before the end of 2025 and conclude by 2029, with gas supply to be guaranteed by the Société Nationale des Hydrocarbures (SNH).
The project is designed to supply 350 megawatts into Cameroon’s grid, easing chronic electricity shortages in the Southwest, Littoral, and West regions, which host much of the country’s industrial activity. With only about 2,000 MW of installed capacity today, Cameroon hopes the plant will be a step toward achieving its goal of 5,000 MW by 2030.
For Sunon Asogli, the project deepens its West African presence, while China Energy strengthens its growing African footprint. For Cameroon, the decision marks the end of a long and at times frustrating search for a credible partner, and the start of a crucial new phase in addressing the country’s persistent power deficit.
