AfDB helps finance 208-MWp solar project in Burkina Faso

The African Development Bank (AfDB) last week announced a EUR-48.82-million (USD 53.71m) loan to the government of Burkina Faso for the 208-MWp Yeleen solar project.

As part of the project, with a total cost of EUR 136.7 million, four 52-MWp solar parks will be built and 30,000 households will be connected to the power distribution network. The solar plants will save 48,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions a year.

Agence Française de Développement (AFD), the European Union and Société Nationale d'électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL) are providing the rest of the funding for the project.

The project will help boost the country's generation capacity by 15%, reducing its dependence on fossil fuel imports, according to AfDB. The project is part of Burkina Faso's broader 2025 solar programme, Yeleen, which includes the construction of photovoltaic plants connected to the national grid, improvement of the electricity distribution network and installation of mini-grids and individual solar systems in rural areas.

The loan is provided under AfDB's Desert to Power initiative, which targets adding up to 10 GW of solar power capacity by 2025 through public and private projects. This is the second project in Burkina Faso under the initiative.

(EUR 1.0 = USD 1.1)

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