India and China invest in Madagascar’s energy future

Madagascar is facing a persistent energy crisis, marked by chronic undercapacity in electricity production. Jirama, the national electricity company, is struggling to ensure a stable supply, causing frequent power outages in Antananarivo, Toamasina, and several secondary cities.

The project to strengthen and interconnect Madagascar’s electricity transmission networks (Prirtem) involves the construction of a 267 km high-voltage line connecting the capital to Toamasina. Two Asian companies have just been selected to carry out phase 2 of this major project, costing EUR 64.53 million.

Lot 1, which involves the construction of a 126 km 220 kV high-voltage line between Toamasina and Antsampanana, was awarded to Angelique International. Already active in Africa, the company has notably built the Boundiali-Ferkessédougou transmission line in Côte d’Ivoire and the Kakobola hydroelectric power plant in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Lot 2, which involves the construction of two interconnection substations in Antsampanana and Toamasina, was awarded to the Chinese group China Jiangxi International Economic and Technical Cooperation Co., a state-owned company well established on the African continent. This project is being closely monitored by the Malagasy authorities.

The Antananarivo-Toamasina high-voltage line is essential not only to improve electricity supply but also to connect future hydroelectric dams under development, such as Sahofika (205 MW) and Volobe (120 MW). However, these infrastructures, which have been in development for nearly ten years, remain hampered by political and administrative obstacles. The European Union, through the Global Gateway program, recently granted an envelope of 24 million EUR to the African Development Bank (AfDB) to support Malagasy energy initiatives.