Description
Mambilla hydropower project is a 3.05GW hydroelectric facility being developed on the Dongo River near Baruf, in Kakara Village of Taraba State, Nigeria. The project is being undertaken by Nigeria"’s Federal Ministry of Power and is expected to go into full commercial operation in 2030. When completed Mambilla will be Nigeria"’s biggest power plant, producing approximately 5.457 billion kWh of electricity a year.
Mambilla hydroelectric facility will comprise of four (4) dams and two (2) underground powerhouses having twelve (12) turbine generator units in total. The four (4) dams to be constructed on the Dongo River for the Mambilla hydropower project include Nya (formerly known as Gembu), Sumsum, Nghu and Api Weir dams (Design review ongoing currently to reduce the number of dams with a view to improve project viability).
Nya and Sumsum will be 100m and 35m-tall roller compacted concrete (RCC) dams with crest length of 515m and 460m, respectively. Nghu will be a 95m-high rockfill dam with a crest length of 650m, while Api Weir will be a small regulatory dam to raise the water level of the river. Nya and Sumsum dams will be connected through a 16km-long, 6m-diameter tunnels, whereas Sumsum and Nghu dams will be connected by a 1.5km-long and 10m-wide canal. The headrace canal for the plant will be 3.1km-long and 15m-wide. Each underground power house of the plant will measure 175mx27mx38m and house six (6) 250MW Pelton turbine units
operating at a total dynamic head of 1,007m. The diameter of the power shafts connecting each turbine will range between 5.25m and 8.40m.
The project is estimated to cost $5.8bn and will generate up to 50,000 local jobs during the construction phase. Two 6km-long tailrace tunnels for the plant will be of 8m diameter each, while the tailrace canal will be 3km-long and 25m-wide.
Mambilla hydroelectric facility will comprise of four (4) dams and two (2) underground powerhouses having twelve (12) turbine generator units in total. The four (4) dams to be constructed on the Dongo River for the Mambilla hydropower project include Nya (formerly known as Gembu), Sumsum, Nghu and Api Weir dams (Design review ongoing currently to reduce the number of dams with a view to improve project viability).
Nya and Sumsum will be 100m and 35m-tall roller compacted concrete (RCC) dams with crest length of 515m and 460m, respectively. Nghu will be a 95m-high rockfill dam with a crest length of 650m, while Api Weir will be a small regulatory dam to raise the water level of the river. Nya and Sumsum dams will be connected through a 16km-long, 6m-diameter tunnels, whereas Sumsum and Nghu dams will be connected by a 1.5km-long and 10m-wide canal. The headrace canal for the plant will be 3.1km-long and 15m-wide. Each underground power house of the plant will measure 175mx27mx38m and house six (6) 250MW Pelton turbine units
operating at a total dynamic head of 1,007m. The diameter of the power shafts connecting each turbine will range between 5.25m and 8.40m.
The project is estimated to cost $5.8bn and will generate up to 50,000 local jobs during the construction phase. Two 6km-long tailrace tunnels for the plant will be of 8m diameter each, while the tailrace canal will be 3km-long and 25m-wide.