Felou

The Félou Hydropower project involves the engineering, construction, commissioning and operation of a run of the river hydropower plant at the Félou falls, on the Senegal River, about 15 km upstream of the town of Kayes in Mali. The project will be implemented in the framework of the development of the hydropower potential of the States that belong to the "Organisation pour la mise en valeur du fleuve Sénégal (OMVS) ", grouping Mali, Mauritania and Senegal, and joined by Guinea in 2006.  The main components of the project are the rehabilitation of an existing weir, and the construction and installation of a powerhouse, three Bulb turbine/generator units with a nominal capacity of 21 MWe each, a water intake structure, and a substation and overhead transmission line. The project also includes the upgrading of access roads as well as improvements to the existing dispatch centre at Manantali and to the telecommunication systems operated by Société de Gestion du Barrage de Manantali (SOGEM) and the National utilities of Mali, Mauritania, and Senegal.  Total cost of the project is estimated at 211.5 million Euros and will be co-financed by the World Bank, the EIB and SOGEM. 

The Grant from the ITF is in the form of an interest rate subsidy to the EIB loan. The subsidy will enable the three states (Mali, Mauritania, Sénégal) that are borrowers for the project to meet HIPC requirements, while contributing to strong regional development through the production of sustainable and clean power generation.