GE Vernova Wins Gas Turbine Order for 372 MW Songon Gas Power Plant in Côte d'Ivoire
en.Wedoany.com Reported - On October 20, GE Vernova announced that it had secured an equipment order for the Songon combined-cycle gas power plant in Côte d'Ivoire, under which it will supply 9E gas turbines and generators for the project. The project is being developed by Songon Energies, with Phase 1 planned at 372 MW. China Energy Engineering Group International Engineering Co., Ltd. is responsible for design and construction. The financing agreement was signed in June this year, and the plant is scheduled to enter operation in 2029. GE Vernova has booked the order in its third-quarter 2026 orders.
The Songon plant is located near Songon-Dagbé village in the Abidjan Autonomous District. Phase 1 includes a combined-cycle generating unit, two heat recovery steam generators and one steam turbine, along with a new on-site substation. The project uses natural gas as its primary fuel and distillate diesel as backup fuel, and is equipped with an air-cooled condenser system. According to the project's environmental impact assessment materials, the plant is being developed in phases, with Phase 1 being this 372 MW project and the capacity of the subsequent Phase 2 not yet determined.
The plant will also be accompanied by the construction of two transmission lines. One is a 225 kV transmission line approximately 22.5 km long connecting the Songon plant to the Dabou substation, with about 1.1 km of the line near the Dabou substation laid underground; the other is a 400 kV line approximately 0.8 km long for connection to the existing CIPREL V transmission line. The supporting natural gas pipeline will be built by Côte d'Ivoire Énergies, and the generated electricity will be fed into the 225 kV and 400 kV grids.
In addition to gas turbines and generators, GE Vernova's scope of supply also includes high-voltage substation power supply systems, digital software and long-term services. Once completed, the added installed capacity is expected to be equivalent to approximately 12% of Côte d'Ivoire's total national installed capacity at that time and to meet the electricity demand of approximately 5 million households. The construction phase is expected to create up to 1,400 jobs.
Côte d'Ivoire's national electrification rate reached 94.3% in 2024, and electricity demand is currently growing at 10%–15% per year. According to the project's environmental impact assessment materials, the country's annual electricity consumption is expected to reach approximately 17,000 GWh by 2030, and the government plans to add approximately 3,200 MW of generating capacity by 2030. The Songon plant will primarily serve new load growth in the Greater Abidjan area and will be connected to the existing grid through newly built 225 kV and 400 kV transmission facilities.
