Madagascar issues tenders for two solar plants at 210MW

The Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons of Madagascar has issued two tenders for the construction of a 200MW solar energy plant and an additional 10MW solar energy plant. Interested companies have until 9 August 2023 to submit their bids.

The projects are expected to increase the country’s share of renewable energy in its electricity generation mix. The country, located off the southeastern coast of Africa is also looking to increase electricity access through renewable energy.

Renewable energy projects had a slow start in Madagascar, but the market has slowly started to gain traction with some notable projects announced recently. 

Pan-African conglomerate AXIAN group, via new division, New Energy Africa (NEA), recently secured funding to expand the 40 MW/5 MWh Ambatolampy solar plus storage project, currently the largest grid-connected solar plant in the Indian Ocean region.

The funds will enable NEA to expand the project by an additional 20 MW, with a 5 MW of battery energy storage. The project is operated by NEA in partnership with French renewable energy independent power producer (IPP), Green Yellow.

Mining giant, Rio Tinto, in partnership with CrossBoundary Energy (CBE), are currently constructing a solar and wind hybrid power plant in Madagascar. The project will have a 8 MW solar energy facility, a 12 MW wind power facility, and a 8.25 MW lithium-ion battery energy storage system.

The project is expected to be completed in 2023, and will supply power to Rio Tinto’s QIT Madagascar Minerals (QMM) mine via a 20-year power purchase agreement.

With ample sunshine throughout the year, and an abundance of wind energy resources, renewable energy offers a promising solution to meet the growing electricity demands of Madagascar.

“We believe large-scale, complex commercial energy projects can be realized here in Madagascar thanks to ample supply of renewable resources, holistic government support, and knowledgeable local implementing partners,” commented Matt Tilleard, Managing Partner of CBE.