Norway-based renewable energy company Scatec has completed construction on two solar power plants coupled with battey storage in Maroua and Guider, in northern Cameroon.

The two facilities, with a combined 36 MW of PV capacity and 20 MW/19 MWh of storage, feature more than 44,800 bifacial solar panels on trackers, with an estimated annual production of 80 GWh. They were linked to the Northern Interconnected Network (NIN) in collaboration with Eneo Cameroun, the nation's electricity company.

Originally planned as a photovoltaic project in 2019, the two plants saw their capacity gradually increase from 25 MW to 36 MW. Battery storage was added to enhance energy smoothing and facilitate nighttime electricity usage.

The Ministry of Water and Energy said that the solar plants are expected to reduce regional power interruptions by 98% and save fuel expenses. Scatec introduced “Release by Scatec” offer, a rental contract for pre-assembled storage batteries integrated into energy production infrastructure.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, Cameroon had just 14 MW of installed PV capacity by the end of 2022.