MALI – Mali has partnered with Fonroche Éclairage, a French company which specializes in public lighting and the production of renewable energy, to install solar powered lights in Mopti region.

The partnership which is under a program known as Trezor (Tranquility in rural areas through public solar lighting) will see the French company supply Mali with 200 solar powered street lighting.

The street lamps will be distributed along the main roads and in the busy areas of Mopti, a town with a population of more than 100,000 people.

“They will bring comfort and tranquillity to at least 40,000 people, help socio-economic development and limit violence.”

Fonroche Éclairage

Fonroche Éclairage further noted that the installation of the solar street lamps will be carried out by local authority staff who will be trained by Fonroche Éclairage before installation works begin.

Earlier this month, two new photovoltaic solar power plants were commissioned in Mali’s Capital, Bamako to boost access to reliable, clean and affordable energy.

The solar plants installed at University of Science, Technology and Techniques of Bamako, and at Gabriel Touré Hospital have the capacity to produce 100kWp of solar energy and are expected to have a life span of more than 25 years.

Mopti region where the streetlights will be installed has an estimated population of 2 million people and is the fifth administrative region of Mali.

The Trezor program was officially launched one year ago by the Departmental Council of Ille-et-Vilaine (France) and the authorities of the Mopti region in Mali.

The project was however delayed partly due to the slow process of identifying a reliable provider of solar powered street lights.

According to a report by Afrik21 Fonroche Éclairage was chosen in a competitive international bidding process.

The French company emerged the winner after it was able to satisfy the requirement of supplying streetlights that can be able to operate 365 nights a year in a hot and dusty climate.

Authorities in the Mopti region estimate that Mali enjoys sunshine for at least 300 days a year, making the region an ideal location for green energy projects such as this one.

Liked this article? Subscribe to DealStreet Africa News, our regular email newsletter with the latest news, deals and insights from Africa’s business, economy and more. SUBSCRIBE HERE