- The authorities in the Ivory Coast have completed a 37.5 MW solar plant in the north of the country, with a second development phase now underway to increase its capacity to 80 MW.
Financing for the solar power plant in Boundiali was first announced in 2018, while commissioning plans were shared in December 2022. The 37.5 MW facility, billed as the country’s first major solar array, will sell electricity to Compagnie Ivoirienne d’Electricité, a utility in the country.
The second phase of development has also started at the solar plant, which is expected to be completed by April 2025. The project, which has a total cost of €75.6 million ($81.8 million), is expected to power 70,000 homes, saving 60,000 tons of CO2 equivalent per year. It is creating more than 300 direct and indirect jobs during construction.
The project is part of efforts to diversify electricity production in the Ivory Coast. The country aims to increase the share of renewable energy in its electricity mix to 45% by 2030, including hydroelectricity.
In February, the government signed a concession agreement for a new 52 MW solar plant, with construction set to begin in the second quarter of this year. Ivorian Energy Minister Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly has also revealed plans to expand the capacity of the Boundiali plant to 80 MW.
Read more on power generation projects in the Ivory Coast HERE
Author: Patrick Jowett
This article was originally published in pv magazine and is republished with permission.
