AMEA Power has started construction on a 50MW solar photovoltaic (PV) project in Ivory Coast. The ceremony took place last week, in the presence of H.E. Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, Minister of Mines, Oil, and Energy of Ivory Coast, and David Falcon, Chief Financial Officer of AMEA Power.
The Bondoukou Solar PV Plant, located in the north-eastern Gontougo region, will generate 85 GWh of electricity per year. This is expected to supply power to around 358,000 households and reduce CO2 emissions by more than 52,000 tons annually. The project is being developed by AMEA Goutougo, a company fully owned by AMEA Power and registered in Ivory Coast.
The project is valued at $60 million and is financed by FMO and DEG. It is part of Ivory Coast’s plan to increase the share of renewable energy in its electricity supply to 45% by 2030. Once operational, it will be AMEA Power’s first energy asset in the country. The company is also developing another 50MW solar PV project in Ivory Coast.
AMEA Power has stated that it will work with local communities through its ‘Community Investment and Development Programs,’ focusing on education, skills training, and gender equality initiatives.
Ivory Coast has been expanding its renewable energy sector alongside this project. Smaller, less-publicized initiatives are also in progress across West Africa. In Burkina Faso, solar microgrids are being installed in rural communities to provide electricity access where grid connections are not available.
In Togo, a solar-powered irrigation project is helping farmers manage water supply for agricultural production. In Guinea-Bissau, small-scale wind turbines are being tested to generate electricity for remote villages. Senegal is developing floating solar panels on reservoirs to generate power while reducing water evaporation.
