Industrialization is just a buzzword without one essential ingredient: electricity. This year, Kribi is set to solve its power puzzle once and for all.
Construction is well underway on the strategic 225 kV high-voltage line connecting the Kribi Power Development Corporation (KPDC) gas plant directly to the Port’s industrial zone. Launched in August 2025, the project is racing toward a completion date of late 2026.
The Infrastructure
The project involves a 42-kilometer double-circuit transmission line and a new high-capacity substation. It effectively creates an “energy highway” dedicated to the factories and logistics bases springing up around the port.
Currently, the industrial zone relies on the general grid, which can be prone to fluctuations. The new line ensures a direct, stable feed from the gas plant, guaranteeing the “quality power” required for sensitive machinery in processing plants and data centers.
Attracting Heavy Industry
“This is the game-changer for manufacturing,” explains an energy consultant in Yaoundé. “You cannot run a cement plant or a cocoa processing facility on uncertain power. This line tells investors: ‘Build here, the lights will stay on.'”
The project is already spurring interest from heavy industries. Several agro-processing multinationals have reportedly paused their site selection processes, waiting for the line’s commissioning to commit to the Kribi zone.
By the end of 2026, when the switch is flipped, Kribi will possess the trifecta of industrial attractiveness: a deep-sea port for export, a highway for domestic distribution, and a dedicated power grid for production. The city is powering up.