The government of Côte d’Ivoire, through the country’s Ministry of Mines, Oil and Energy and state-owned power utility, Côte d’Ivoire Energies, have launched a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the design, financing, construction, and operation of two grid-connected solar PV plants with a total installed capacity of at least 60 MW.
The tender for the two solar projects was issued on an IPP basis under the World Bank Group’s Scaling Solar program. According to the tender documents, the solar power plants will be in Laboa and Touba in the Bafing Region, in the western part of the country.
Interested bidders are requested to submit their proposals by August 9, 2024.
The solar tender by the government of Côte d’Ivoire is part of its goal to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 45% by 2030. With an installed electricity generation capacity of 2,250 MW, the West African country produces most of its power from oil and gas, and also exports electricity to Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Mali.
Côte d’Ivoire solar expansion plans
The government of Côte d’Ivoire recently inaugurated the 37.5MW Boundiali Solar Power Plant, located about 660 km (410 miles) north of the commercial capital Abidjan. The project is the country’s first large-scale solar power plant.
“This is our country’s first step in its transitional march towards clean energy,” said Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, the Minister for Mines, Power and Electricity during the project’s ceremony in the northern town of Boundiali.
The government of Côte d’Ivoire plans to extend the capacity of the Boundiali Solar Power Plant from the current 37.5MW to 83 MW from its current 37.5 MW by April 2025. The Minister for Mines, Power and Electricity revealed that the project’s expansion will cost around 35.6 millions euros, and will be supported by financing from Germany.
The West African is also targeting to add 678 MW of new solar power generation capacity to its power network by 2030 as part of its goals to diversify its energy mix and reduce reliance on costly oil and gas to meet its power needs.
