Burkina Faso commissions first Independent Power Producer PV plant

Burkina Faso has launched its first solar PV plant, thanks to a public-private partnership with GreenYellow’s Société de Production d’Energie Solaire de Ouagadougou (SPES).

The 30Mwp PV plant in Nagréongo is a culmination of the PPP deal inked by SPES, a subsidiary of Green Yellow and the Burkinabe government in 2019.  

All the electricity produced by the PV power plant will be sold to the national company SONABEL. The project was entirely developed, financed and built by GreenYellow, which will also operate and maintain the plant. A loan of €21 million was granted by the Dutch Development Bank FMO to GreenYellow for the construction of this PV plant.

PV plant to improve energy access in Burkina Faso

This project responds to the energy challenge facing Burkina Faso, which has one of the weakest power grids in Sub-Saharan Africa and a high energy demand. According to the West African country’s Strategy for Accelerated Growth and Sustainable Development (SCADD 2011-2015) and the Energy Sector Policy 2014-2025, Ouagadougou wants to increase the use of national energy resources and improve the efficiency of energy consumption.

“The objectives envisaged by the government are to reach a global 95% electricity access (50% in rural areas) and universal access to clean cooking solutions in urban areas (65% in rural areas) by 2030. The Government also set a target of 50% Renewable Energy in the electric mix by 2030 (without biomass),” notes the adopted policy strategy.

The strategy document also pays particular attention to the development of renewable energy including solar energy. The level of sunshine in the country makes it possible to meet this energy security challenge through the development of PV energy. In addition, deploying a clean energy solution that is designed to last will allow the country to take a long-term approach to the fight against global warming.

Burkina Faso’s power access rate is one of the lowest in the West African sub region. At the end of 2020, the national rate was 22.5% compared to an average sub-regional rate of 40%.