The project was part of the Government's desire to increase the supply of electrical energy to address the country's energy deficit and the weak performance of existing facilities. The Memve'ele hydroelectric dam project is located on the NTEM River in the South Region of Cameroon.
The project included:
- A dam and all its related structures creating a reservoir of 2 200 hectares with an estimated storage capacity of 130 million m3;
- A hydroelectric plant with an installed capacity of 201 MW’s;
- Access roads, a power line of 225 KW, transformer stations and associated interconnection.
The project included an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP) and Socio-Economic Support Programme (PASE). Oréade-Brèche has made available a full-time project environment expert and a part-time environmental expert.
Oréade-Breche was specifically responsible for providing technical and methodological support to the project management for the implementation of the ESMP and PASE measures. The mission focused in particular on the following points:
- Monitoring the execution of the work and mission ensuring compliance with environmental, health and safety during construction operations of hydroelectric facilities and related works,
- Assessment and monitoring of measures implemented by the building enterprises regarding waste and discharge management, work safety, work sites restoration, etc.
- Coordination of the different studies and services carried out by the project owner and other stakeholders to the Project, in accordance with the requirements of the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment
- Implementation of the off-set and mitigation measures defined by the environmental management plan : financial and technical support to neighbouring national park, fight against poaching, fishing resource management plan, communities resettlement, endangered species protection plan, reforestation plan, etc.
- Partnership identification and implementation with publics institutions (National Parks, Health / Environment / Labour Ministries, etc.) and NGOs.
- Evaluation and anticipation of risks related to the environmental and social impact of the project.