- Earlier this week on 21st November, the President of the Republic of Chad, Idriss Déby Itno has inaugurated the construction of two solar PV power plants in Gaoui, near N’Djamena.
- Gaoui’s two 50MW solar photovoltaic power plants will be built by Merl Solar Technologies, the subsidiary of the Austrian company Elektro Merl.
- The two plants will also be equipped with 10 MVAh battery storage systems.
Merl Solar Technologies, , will also build a two-span 33/90 kV MV and HVB substation to connect the two solar parks to the national grid. Merl Solar plans to invest USD 150 million for the full implementation of the solar project, which will last 12 months. The company will operate the facilities under a 20-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) signed with the National Electricity Company (SNE). “The SNE will buy the kWh at 55 CFA francs (about 0.1 dollar). After a period of 20 years, the solar power station will become the property of Chad,” said the Chadian president.
Through its project, Merl Solar hopes to create 400 to 500 jobs in Chad. The provider of clean energy solutions will also build a vocational training centre in the capital N’Djamena to train young graduates in the field of renewable energy.
Author: Bryan Groenendaal
