Louga 1 and Louga 2 are two priority hydropower developments in Côte d'Ivoire with combined installed capacity of 246 MW. Louga 1 is planned at 126 MW and Louga 2 at 120 MW, with evacuation through the interconnected West African power system.
CI-ENERGIES continues to list Louga 1 at 126 MW and Louga 2 at 120 MW as future hydropower projects within Côte d'Ivoire's 2021-2030 generation plan.
Louga 1 will include a reservoir, a 1,683 m dam, three bulb-type generating units with total capacity of 126 MW, a spillway and tailrace canal. Louga 2 will include a reservoir, a 1,107 m dam, three bulb-type units with total capacity of 120 MW, a spillway and tailrace canal. Electricity will be evacuated through the 225 kV network, with the final evacuation arrangement to be confirmed by detailed design studies.
Verified implementation and technical context: CI-ENERGIES reports that PowerChina undertook reconnaissance, surveying and technical investigations and proposed replacing the original single Louga site with the two developments. Feasibility reports for Louga 1 and Louga 2 were submitted in December 2019, followed by technical review and preliminary environmental work. The two plants form part of the sequence of hydropower developments in the Sassandra valley and are intended to contribute to Côte d'Ivoire's target of a more diversified generation mix with a larger renewable share. Planned construction and commissioning dates in historical CI-ENERGIES reports are forecasts and should not be presented as achieved milestones.
1. Increase national and regional electricity generation capacity by 246 MW. 2. Contribute to Côte d'Ivoire's target of achieving a 42% share of renewable energy in its power mix by 2030. 3. Reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 28% by 2030 compared to a 2014 baseline, by displacing thermal generation. 4. Enhance regional power integration and security through the WAPP. 5. Generate approximately 646 GWh of renewable electricity annually. 6. Create direct and indirect employment during construction and operation phases.