Sonel changes name to ENEO Cameroon

The historical operator of the electricity sector in Cameroon changed name and visual identity, following its re-sale to the British venture capital fund Actis.

Cameroonians will have to accustom themselves with ENEO Cameroon, for Energy of Cameroon. The national electricity company (Sonel) changed as well its identity for the fourth time in its history.

This is a way for Actis, buyer for $202 million for 56 per cent of the shares of Aes Sonel detained by the American group AES, to rebrand itself. New state of mind by revealing the name of the new company, on 12 September, the management puts an end to a competition launched on May 27, intended for the change of the name and visual identity of the company, test during which 12,300 people have submitted 8,896 proposals of names.

The development of the short-list has helped to retain three denominations: Cam Energy, and Energy of Cameroon. ENEO, contraction of energy "mark our willingness to provide light for Cameroonians, as well as a new state of mind, a new governance and a new approach in the modernization of facilities in order to make energy cheaper", observed Joël Nana Kontchou, the new director general ENEO Cameroon.

Investments with a portfolio of more than 900,000 customers and of an installed generation capacity of 935 MW, ENEO which employs 3,600 people, plans on investing 170 billion CFA francs (260 million euros) during the next five years.

In addition, Globeleq, a subsidiary of Actis having resumed the former subsidiaries of Aes Sonel, Kribi Power Development Corporation (KPDC - 216 MW) and Dibamba Power Development Corporation (DPDC - 86 MW), has just created Globeleq Cameroon Management Services (GCMS) to oversee their management.