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Ivory Coast
Index
In the late 1980s, electrical production in Côte
d'Ivoire
surpassed that of most other countries in sub-Saharan
Africa. Its
five hydroelectric stations and the large thermal station
at Vridi
provided electricity for the central and southern portions
of the
country, where most industrial activity took place. In
addition, a
number of smaller thermal facilities provided electricity
for urban
areas scattered throughout the country. The number of
urban centers
with electrical service increased rapidly from 292 in 1975
to 620
in 1984, with 740 predicted for 1990. In 1986 total
generating
capacity amounted to 2,060 gigawatt-hours. The industrial
sector
consumed 1,026 gigawatt-hours of high-voltage electricity;
the
remaining capacity was consumed by more than 350,000
low-voltage
subscribers.
After independence, Electrical Energy of Ivory Coast
(Energie
Electrique de Côte d'Ivoire--EECI), the Ivoirian power
company, had
sought to replace costly thermal units with hydroelectric
power.
The first two dams, Ayamé I and Ayamé II at Ayamé, began
generating
in 1962 and 1965, respectively. Following the rise of oil
prices on
the world market in the early 1970s, the government
embarked upon
a major program to tap its considerable hydroelectric
potential. In
1973 the government commissioned a 176-megawatt
hydroelectric
facility on the Bandama River at Kossou. The Kossou Dam
project was
by far the most expensive of Côte d'Ivoire's hydroelectric
facilities; construction cost billions of CFA francs, as
did the
relocation of 85,000 Baoulé farmers from the region that
was to
have been flooded
(see Ethnic Groups and Languages
, ch.
2). Lake
Kossou (Lac de Kossou) was expected to cover a surface
three times
the size of Lake Geneva and to double the country's
electrical
generation. In fact, poor rainfall during the mid-1970s
prevented
Lake Kossou from filling to its maximum capacity, and
Kossou's
output was far less than anticipated. With the return of
normal
rainfall levels in 1979, hydroelectric power generation
rose
significantly and permitted a cutback in oil-fired thermal
output.
A second dam, with a capacity of 210 megawatts, was
constructed
downriver at Taabo and was brought into production in
1979. In the
west of the country on the Sassandra River, the
165-megawatt Buyo
Dam was completed in 1980, bringing the country's total
hydroelectric capacity to 600 megawatts. By 1982 about 90
percent
of the country's electrical energy came from hydroelectric
sources,
thus reducing significantly the amount of fuel the country
needed
to import.
A serious drought in 1983 and 1984, however, nearly
dried up
the lakes behind all five dams. Turbines were shut down,
and the
country was obliged to rely once again on the thermal
power
produced by its original 210-megawatt facility at Vridi
and to
reactivate two smaller thermal units in the north and west
of the
country. Electrical production fell by 18.3 percent,
causing
blackouts in Abidjan and productivity losses amounting to
35
percent in the industrial sector.
To help alleviate the crisis, the government installed
four
thermal generators at Vridi, financed by the European
Investment
Bank and the Central Fund for Economic Cooperation (Caisse
Centrale
pour la Coopération Economique--CCCE). The four
turbogenerators had
a total capacity of 100 megawatts and were able to run on
natural
gas as well as fuel oil, enabling EECI to tap offshore gas
sources
as they became available. The government also agreed to
purchase
178 gigawatt-hours of power from neighboring Ghana in
1983-84 and
322 gigawatt-hours in 1984-85. Good rains in 1984
replenished the
lakes and allowed EECI to reactivate the hydroelectric
generators;
accordingly, thermal production decreased from 78.1
percent of the
total in 1983-84 to 30.5 percent in 1984-85.
Data as of November 1988
Electricity
In the late 1980s, electrical production in Côte
d'Ivoire
surpassed that of most other countries in sub-Saharan
Africa. Its
five hydroelectric stations and the large thermal station
at Vridi
provided electricity for the central and southern portions
of the
country, where most industrial activity took place. In
addition, a
number of smaller thermal facilities provided electricity
for urban
areas scattered throughout the country. The number of
urban centers
with electrical service increased rapidly from 292 in 1975
to 620
in 1984, with 740 predicted for 1990. In 1986 total
generating
capacity amounted to 2,060 gigawatt-hours. The industrial
sector
consumed 1,026 gigawatt-hours of high-voltage electricity;
the
remaining capacity was consumed by more than 350,000
low-voltage
subscribers.
After independence, Electrical Energy of Ivory Coast
(Energie
Electrique de Côte d'Ivoire--EECI), the Ivoirian power
company, had
sought to replace costly thermal units with hydroelectric
power.
The first two dams, Ayamé I and Ayamé II at Ayamé, began
generating
in 1962 and 1965, respectively. Following the rise of oil
prices on
the world market in the early 1970s, the government
embarked upon
a major program to tap its considerable hydroelectric
potential. In
1973 the government commissioned a 176-megawatt
hydroelectric
facility on the Bandama River at Kossou. The Kossou Dam
project was
by far the most expensive of Côte d'Ivoire's hydroelectric
facilities; construction cost billions of CFA francs, as
did the
relocation of 85,000 Baoulé farmers from the region that
was to
have been flooded
(see Ethnic Groups and Languages
, ch.
2). Lake
Kossou (Lac de Kossou) was expected to cover a surface
three times
the size of Lake Geneva and to double the country's
electrical
generation. In fact, poor rainfall during the mid-1970s
prevented
Lake Kossou from filling to its maximum capacity, and
Kossou's
output was far less than anticipated. With the return of
normal
rainfall levels in 1979, hydroelectric power generation
rose
significantly and permitted a cutback in oil-fired thermal
output.
A second dam, with a capacity of 210 megawatts, was
constructed
downriver at Taabo and was brought into production in
1979. In the
west of the country on the Sassandra River, the
165-megawatt Buyo
Dam was completed in 1980, bringing the country's total
hydroelectric capacity to 600 megawatts. By 1982 about 90
percent
of the country's electrical energy came from hydroelectric
sources,
thus reducing significantly the amount of fuel the country
needed
to import.
A serious drought in 1983 and 1984, however, nearly
dried up
the lakes behind all five dams. Turbines were shut down,
and the
country was obliged to rely once again on the thermal
power
produced by its original 210-megawatt facility at Vridi
and to
reactivate two smaller thermal units in the north and west
of the
country. Electrical production fell by 18.3 percent,
causing
blackouts in Abidjan and productivity losses amounting to
35
percent in the industrial sector.
To help alleviate the crisis, the government installed
four
thermal generators at Vridi, financed by the European
Investment
Bank and the Central Fund for Economic Cooperation (Caisse
Centrale
pour la Coopération Economique--CCCE). The four
turbogenerators had
a total capacity of 100 megawatts and were able to run on
natural
gas as well as fuel oil, enabling EECI to tap offshore gas
sources
as they became available. The government also agreed to
purchase
178 gigawatt-hours of power from neighboring Ghana in
1983-84 and
322 gigawatt-hours in 1984-85. Good rains in 1984
replenished the
lakes and allowed EECI to reactivate the hydroelectric
generators;
accordingly, thermal production decreased from 78.1
percent of the
total in 1983-84 to 30.5 percent in 1984-85.
Data as of November 1988
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