SOUTH AFRICA’S POWER utility, Eskom Enterprises, has won a US$75M 15-year contract to operate and maintain the Manantali hydro power project on the Bafing river, a tributary of the Senegal river in Mali.
The dam, the 1500km transmission grid which links to the Malian capital Bamako,and grids in neighbouring Senegal and Mauritania, are a joint development initiative between Mali, Senegal and Mauritania.
Power from Manantali, with 200MW installed capacity, will be shared on the basis of Mali 53%, Senegal 32% and Mauritania 15%.
Eskom Enterprises’ contract includes hydrological planning, management of the reservoir, production planning, power dispatch, power sales and the operation and maintenance of facilities.