Improving access to energy through an innovative public-private partnership model (FEDECAM)

Lack of access to electricity, or to reliable electricity (frequent power cuts, voltage drops), means that local communities in Cameroon are unable to reach their full socio-economic development potential.

Supported by the FFEM and the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF - Association Internationale des Maires Francophones), the Network for Locally Elected Women of Africa - Cameroon (REFELA-Cam) therefore implemented the 3rd phase of the Women and Sustainable Energies in Cameroon project (FEDACAM - Femmes et Énergies Durables au Cameroun). Their goal: to improve access to reliable and affordable energy services for the households, institutions and companies concerned.

To achieve this, the project relies on an innovative public-private partnership, at local level, with companies in the social and solidarity economy in order to produce electricity in a decentralised way, particularly through renewable energies.

The project has 3 components:

• Improving local governance of the public electricity service across 7 targeted communes (Akom 2, Dzeng, Eboné, Kon-Yambetta, Pete Bandjoun, the 1st arrondissement of Maroua and Tombel), by reinforcing the capabilities of all those involved both locally and nationally, to make it more inclusive and participatory.
• Structuring and developing local sustainable energy management tools in partnership with those involved in the social and solidarity economy.
• Give access to sustainable energy to the populations of the 7 target communes through applying international good practices.

• Installation of between 542 and 630 photovoltaic solar lamps for public lighting in the communes of Dzeng, Eboné, Kon-Yambetta, Pete-Bandjou and Tombel.
• Construction and commissioning of a 60 kWp solar power plant of with a 3 km radius distribution network for the population of Akom II.
• Access to low cost energy generated from renewable sources for 600,000 residents, plus access to the photovoltaic energy market for 7 SMEs in the social and solidarity economy.
• Creation of 200 sustainable jobs to operate the local public energy services.

The principal innovation of this project - supported by the FFEM - lies in the decentralised production and distribution of energy under communal project ownership. This approach is also novel as it links the energy sector with the social and solidarity economy across the targeted areas: the system truly relies on the delegation of public generation and distribution services to private actors within the social and solidarity economy. Such an approach has the benefit of supporting local sustainable industries via public sector contracts.

Another major innovation: the implementation of a cross-cutting arrangement which allies the strengthening of local energy project management with the dissemination of learnings and methods among networks of elected officials. This empowers officials to take ownership of energy matters and deploy the best needs-driven solutions.