Temporary power and temperature control services company Aggreko announced a three-year contract extension to its 200 MW gas-fired power project in Côte d’Ivoire last month, with an option to extend this by a further two years.

The Aggreko plant, in the Vridi area of Abidjan, provides critical power for Côte d’Ivoire and surrounding countries interconnected to the Côte d’Ivoire grid.

The facility was installed in 2010, with the first phase of the project producing 70 MW. This was increased to 100 MW in 2011 and again increased in June 2013 to 200 MW.

With a booming economy and gross domestic product growth of around 9%, demand for energy has been increasing steadily in recent years. The Aggreko plant injects vital capacity into the local grid, helping keep essential infrastructure and services running, while also ensuring power supplies are maintained to both business and domestic users.

“We are pleased to be extending the Aggreko project, which forms an important part of our programme of strengthening the energy infrastructure across the country,” comments Côte d’Ivoire State-owned utility CI-Energies director- general Amidou Traore.

He adds that the 200 MW supplied from the Aggreko plant is an important component of the country’s energy generation mix and helps CI-Energies maintain supply to its customers, while developing long-term infrastructure programmes.

Economies across Africa are growing at a phenomenal rate, resulting in an increased strain on power generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. By adding large-scale, fast-track interim power, countries can continue to supply the energy required to sustain economic growth while governments and State utilities work on bringing new-generation capacity on line.

“Our project in Côte d’Ivoire is a great example of the value Aggreko brings to its utility customers in Africa,” says Aggreko North and West Africa MD Christophe Jacquin.

He notes that the company’s solutions address shortages in power generation capacity, giving its customers the ability to maintain supply while they work to improve their systems.

Aggreko maintains a strong presence in Côte d’Ivoire and views the country as a vital platform in its West African operations. In addition to the Abidjan plant, Aggreko also runs its West African youth training initiative, the Aggreko Technical University in Côte d’Ivoire.

The programme involves an intensive training syllabus incorporating advanced technical, engineering and project operations modules. Graduates have access to fast-track employment opportunities within technical and project operations positions in Côte d’Ivoire and other locations in Aggreko’s network of international power projects.