Equipped with eight diesel engines, the plant has a total fuel storage capacity of 6,000 cubic metres, supplying an additional 86 mega watts of electricity to existing AES SONEL lines. “We have logistics constraints as TOTAL with whom it secured a business contract, lacks the specific tankers to ferry in fuel from SONARA in Limbe,” explained a technician at the site. Technicians complained that the heavy fuel they are now using is more expensive, and so called for a switch to natural gas which is cheaper. “The plant consists of eight diesel engines which can also work with heavy fuel and natural gas if converted. To convert the engines to gas engines will cost about FCFA 6,” he noted. This raised anxiety for the proposed Logbaba Gas Plant which was to be constructed five kilometres from Yassa-Dibamba Interconnection Plant to ensure cheap natural gas supply through pipelines – a necessary remedy for the high fuel expenditures currently incurred by the Yassa-Dibamba plant.
It was disclosed that, with a staff of 37, FCFA 1 billion is spent on fuelling (heavy fuel) the plant monthly during dry seasons. “We could record far lesser amounts if the engines were converted to using natural gas,” revealed a technician as he led the visitors around. Since it went operational, the plant is said to be using existing stocks of diesel procured at construction by its contractor for maintenance and cleansing of the system. A technician raised fears that the plant may soon run dry of the maintenance fuel if enough funds to that effect are not secured ahead of time. He said the Yassa plant was established in November 2009 as an emergency to meet up with electricity demands given delays to construct the Kribi Power Plant in 2007. That is why the Government of Cameroon and AES SONEL officials expressed the desire for more funding from donors who visited the Yassa-Dibamba Interconnected Plant during the first lap of their official visit.
