Benin - Electricity Corporation of Benin Sub-Transmission and Distribution System Restructuring and Extension Project (PRESREDI)

The SBEE Sub-transmission and Distribution System Restructuring and Extension Project (PRESREDI) is a major investment project to expand electricity grids and connect more subscribers. The Bank's intervention is justified by the obsolescence of SBEE distribution infrastructure and the lack of investment which have a negative impact on SBEE energy supply quality, in terms of saturation of transformers and power lines or even significant energy losses in SBEE networks. In 2015, total energy losses (technical and commercial losses) were assessed at 23%1 of the total energy injected into the sub-transmission and distribution networks of the SBEE. The current operation supplements the budget support program (PASEBE-I) worth UA 19.92 million that the Bank approved for Benin in April 2017. This program specifically focuses electricity sub-sector support measures to provide Benin with immediate temporary additional capacity of 310 MW while structural actions are undertaken to endow the country with a national installed capacity of at least 335 MW by 2019-2020. The project has four components: (i) reinforcement of the existing 63/15 kV substations, (ii) the 63 kV Lokossa - Hagoumè line and 63/20 kV substation at Lokossa, (iii) enforcement and extension of the distribution networks (MV/LV) and (iv) project management.