Planet
Khoumagueli Solar will demonstrate the use of solar power to mitigate the impact of seasonal rainfall fluctuations on hydro power supply, increasing the climate-resilience of Guinea’s power supply and adding 40MW of clean energy to the grid.
| Company | Solvéo International Investments S.A.S, its subsidiary Khoumagueli Solar SA, and parent company Solvéo International S.A.S. |
| Sector | Power / Energy |
| Country | Republic of Guinea |
| PIDG Commitment |
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| Dates of PIDG involvement |
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The Republic of Guinea’s existing electricity supply is largely derived from hydro power. Hydro power can be susceptible to seasonal rainfall fluctuations, resulting in power outages and significant financial losses for businesses. Demand for power is expected to rise sharply due to a forecast expansion of the country’s mining industry and economic growth. The government has therefore prioritised development of the energy sector as part of the country’s National Development Plan Economic and Social Council. The government is also seeking to exploit Guinea’s solar power potential, to diversify the country’s energy mix and increase the availability and reliability of power.
Khoumagueli Solar will deliver 40MW of clean power to Guinea’s national grid. The project will also complement power supplied by the nearby 75MW Garafiri hydro plant. During periods of low rainfall, the Garafiri plant will be able to slow operations and store water during the day (when Khoumagueli is generating power) and run its turbines at high capacity overnight. Delivering power in such a complementary way could allow 20 per cent of Garafiri’s output to be time-shifted and minimise any disruptions to supply caused by maintenance at the hydro plant.
Khoumagueli Solar will demonstrate the use of solar power to mitigate the impact of seasonal rainfall fluctuations on hydro power supply, increasing the climate-resilience of Guinea’s power supply and adding 40MW of clean energy to the grid.
Khoumagueli will be Guinea’s first grid-connected solar PV power project and is one of the country’s earliest renewable IPP initiatives.
Using existing grid infrastructure, Khoumagueli will be well-positioned to support the West African Power Pool, linking Guinea with its neighbours and benefiting the wider region.
Khoumagueli has used grant funding through PIDG’s technical assistance solution to support work to build government capacity to undertake future renewable energy projects with the private sector.
