Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire: On July 2, 2024, the project company Kong Solaire, jointly owned by InfraCo Africa (part of the Private Infrastructure Development Group – PIDG) and Ivorian developer Africa Via, signed a concession agreement with the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, the Ministry of Finance and Budget, and Côte d’Ivoire Energies to develop a 50 MWp solar power plant located in Kong in the northern region of the country under a Build, Own, Operate, and Transfer (BOOT) model. Kong Solaire will be one of the first solar energy projects constructed under this model in Côte d’Ivoire.
During the ceremony, the Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, Mr. Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, emphasised the importance of this project, which will create several hundred direct and indirect jobs while enabling Côte d’Ivoire to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix. Mr. Sangafowa-Coulibaly also noted that the electricity sector master plan for 2040 aims to triple electricity production capacity, increasing it from the current 2,907 MW to 8,600 MW. This master plan will ensure that the supply of electricity meets the rapidly growing needs of the economy and households.
InfraCo Africa’s Head of Business Development, Mr. Omar Jabri, said of the agreement, “We are delighted and pleased today to sign the concession agreement for the development and construction of the Kong solar power plant in partnership with the Ivorian state. The Kong Solaire project, with a capacity of 50 MWp and a total investment of 37 billion CFA francs, will provide more than 97 GWh of clean electricity each year to approximately 240,000 people. As a PIDG company, InfraCo Africa is committed, along with its partner Africa Via, to promoting the development of resilient infrastructure in Côte d’Ivoire and contributing to the achievement of national sustainable development goals, including reaching 45% renewable energy by 2030.”
The plant will be equipped with the latest solar panel technologies to maximise its electricity production. Connected to a transmission line and a substation located near the site, the plant will supply electricity to residential and commercial customers connected to the Côte d’Ivoire grid. The project aligns with the country’s ambitious approach to energy independence while meeting national sustainable development goals (COP26).
Africa Via’s CEO, Mr. Minkaïla Salami, declared, “As the CEO of Africa Via, I am very proud of the work our company has accomplished over the years to achieve the signing of this concession agreement for our first 50 MWp photovoltaic project in Kong, in the Tchologo region of Côte d’Ivoire. We are delighted to co-develop this project with InfraCo Africa, with whom we share common ambitions to realise the implementation of projects that enable the sustainable development of Pan-African economies and directly benefit the most vulnerable populations.”
It is anticipated that Kong Solaire will demonstrate the viability of solar generation in Côte d’Ivoire and will negotiate documentation which can be replicated in the future, attracting private sector finance and expertise to further expand the country’s growing solar sector.
