The capacity of Burkina Faso’s electricity grid has increased by 68 MW, following the commissioning of two solar photovoltaic power plants in Pâ, in the Boucle du Mouhoun region, and Kodéni, in the Bobo-Dioulasso region (famous for its film productions). The new facilities, with capacities of 30 MWp and 38 MWp respectively, were inaugurated in December 2023 by Burkina Faso’s prime minister.
According to Appolinaire Joachimson Kyelèm de Tambéla, these investments demonstrate the determination of the authorities in this West African country to exploit the sun’s potential to produce “clean, low-cost” energy. At a total cost of 30 billion CFA francs (over 45 million euros), the Kodéni solar project is the fruit of a public-private partnership (PPP) between the Burkina Faso National Electricity Company (SONABEL) and Kodéni Solar (wholly owned by the French company Africa Ren).
Pending the doubling of its capacity (from 38 MWp to 76 MWp), this project will supply several households and schools, while avoiding annual emissions of 43,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent. Nearly 31,000 households will be connected to Sonabel’s electricity grid thanks to the Pâ power station, which will also help to save 32,500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent every year. The project was managed by the French energy group Urbasolar as part of a 19 billion CFA franc (€28.8 million) PPP signed in 2020 with the government of Burkina Faso.
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For a number of years now, Burkina Faso has been banking on renewable energies to boost its rate of access to electricity, estimated by the World Bank at 19% in 2019. Among the solar power plants that have been built in the meantime is the Nagréongo plant (30 MWp). Located 35 kilometres east of the capital Ouagadougou, it was inaugurated in 2022 following the completion of work by French independent power producer (IPP) GreenYellow. The Nagréongo photovoltaic solar power plant was financed by a €21 million loan from the Netherlands Development Finance Corporation (FMO).
Benoit-Ivan Wansi