After Somalia and Nigeria, the GPA programme will be implemented in Burkina Faso. This initiative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) was launched recently in Ouagadougou by the Burkina Faso Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries, Simon-Pierre Boussim, in the presence of local UNDP officials and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), which is co-financing the AMP programme.
Overall, the programme aims to provide technical assistance for the deployment of solar mini-grids in at least 21 African countries. In Burkina Faso, the authorities will use this regional initiative to accelerate electrification by improving financial sustainability and promoting large-scale commercial investments in solar PV mini-grids.
1.6 million in funding
According to UNDP, the AMP programme will support innovation and technology transfer in decentralised renewable energy distribution and storage solutions. The initiative will also “support the government’s recovery efforts under Covid-19 and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities by supporting livelihoods and providing income-generating activities,” UNDP says.
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Solar mini-grids are one solution to the challenge of rural electrification in Burkina Faso. This country of over 22 million people has an electricity access rate of 22%, with only 10% in rural areas. This level has been achieved by extending the network. This is a costly and less profitable strategy in rural areas.
The technical assistance programme proposed by UNDP will be implemented over the next 48 months thanks to funding of 1.08 billion CFA francs (1.6 million euros) provided by the Burkinabe government, UNDP and the GEF. With the assistance of the American research centre Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), the Burkina Faso Rural Electrification Agency (ABER) will implement the African Mini-Grid Programme in the regions of Cascades, Boucle du Mouhoun, Centre, Centre-North, Centre-East, North and Central Plateau.
Jean Marie Takouleu