NIGER– The government of Niger has relaunched a solar power project which had stalled for nearly 2 years after it was first launched.
The relaunching followed a decision by the country’s council of ministers to adopt a bill declaring the project a public utility.
Construction work on the photovoltaic solar power plant south of Niamey on the site of the Gorou Banda thermal power plant are now expected to begin in earnest.
The project which is estimated to cost US$70 million is projected have a capacity of between 30MWp and 60MWp and is estimated to ready for commissioning by the second of half of 2021.
Two institutions are already supporting the project, notably the French Development Agency (AFD) with a loan promise of 23.5 million euros and the European Union with 5 million euros.
This financing will cover part of the construction work but also the operation and maintenance of the future solar power plant over a 2-year period.
The solar energy park will improve the quality of the public electricity service for about 18,000 subscribers in the interconnected Niger River area, which accounts for 70% of the country’s electricity demand.
The installation will also reduce Niger’s dependence on electricity imports and enhance its significant renewable energy potential by providing a sustainable and modular solution that will reduce CO2 emissions by 23 tonnes per year.
Also, with a view to improving the supply of electricity in Niger, the country’s council of ministers declared the construction of the 330 kV Nigeria-Zabori-Niamey high-voltage lines on the border with Nigeria and Burkina Faso and the Zabori-Benin border as a public utility.
Once completed, the project will, among other things, make it possible to secure the electricity supply to the Niger River area.
It will also reduce the cost of electricity in Niger and facilitate electricity exchanges between the other member countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
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