The African Development Bank (AfDB) is announcing financing of US$ 21.51 million for Chad. The funds mobilised by several development partners will make it possible to increase clean electricity production capacity and improve service to the population.
The $21.51 million in funding announced by the African Development Bank (AfDB) consists of a $19.6 million loan from the African Development Fund (ADF). The Green Climate Fund (GCF) is providing $1.6 million under the Desert to Power Facility. G5 Sahel. The United States of America is contributing $292,000 through the Power Africa initiative.
The funds raised will be used to implement the Power Sector Support Project (PASET), which the AfDB has decided to include in its Desert to Power programme, which aims to harness solar energy to provide access to electricity for 250 million people in Burkina Faso, Chad, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal and Sudan.
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Under Paset, Chad’s National Electricity Company (SNE) will hybridise three thermal power plants with solar power in Bongor (250 km from N’Djamena), Bol (300 km from N’Djamena) and Biltine (1,000 km from N’Djamena). The hybridization of these plants will allow for fuel savings. According to the AfDB, the project will also enable the acquisition and installation of IT equipment for remote management of distribution and interconnect twelve secondary electricity production centres to improve the quality of billing and collection; and build the capacity of SNE and other energy sector actors, notably the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ARSE) and the Chadian Ministry of Energy.
In addition to improving electricity production, SNE plans to install 45,000 prepayment meters to reduce non-technical electricity losses. The Paset will also allow for the creation of at least 15,000 connections with prepayment meters, while improving SNE’s technical, financial and commercial performance.
Jean Marie Takouleu
