- FMO has finalised the provision of €90m for the development of solar power plants in Burkina Faso.
- The grid-connected plants will have a cumulative capacity of 110MWp.
- The plants will sully energy to state utility SONABEL under a PPA.
The Dutch Development Finance Company (FMO Nederlandse Financierings-Maatschappij voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V.) will provide loans of up to €90 million for the development of four solar power plants in Burkina Faso. The grid-connected plants will have a total capacity of 110MWp. The plants will be deployed by independent power producers (IPPs). Other financier for the plants include the Interact Climate Change Facility (ICCF), Swedfund, Finnfund, Norfund, the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO). The German Investment Company (DEG) Oesterreichische Entwicklungsbank AG (OeEB), the Austrian Development Bank, the Swiss Investment Fund for Emerging Markets (SIFEM), and the AFD’s private sector financing arm Proparco.
The largest, a 38MWp plant, will be sited in Bobo-Dioulasso and will be built by Africa Ren. The Société de production d’énergie solaire de Ouagadougou (SPES de Ouagadougou) will construct a 30MWp facility 40km from the capital. The third a 24MWp will be sited near Tenkodogo and built by Quadran Burkina Faso. The last an18MWp plant will be sited in Dédougou. The energy generated by these power plants will be sold to the state-owned Société nationale d’électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL) under a PPA.
Burkina Faso is banking on solar power to increase its electricity capacity and meet the energy needs of over 21 million people. The country currently depends on energy imports from ghana and Ivory Coast.