The 7.5MW Mubuga solar power plant, which is not only Mubuga’s but also the entire country’s first of its kind has been officially launched. Burundi’s president Ndayishimiye among other many high-profile diplomats including the United States ambassador graced the ceremony.
Built through a multinational effort, the pioneering facility has been in operation since May 2021. It is providing over 10% of Burundi’s electricity, supplying clean power to thousands of homes and businesses. The plant is also supporting international efforts to surge renewables and climate investment, especially for the world’s most vulnerable communities.
Speaking at that ceremony, the president said, “We celebrate economic and climate progress in Burundi, which is open to direct foreign investment to catalyze economic growth for our people.”
Ndayishimiye also invited international partners to assist Burundi in solar power generation capacity.
Project Overview
The Mubuga Solar Power Plant is located on Mirambi Hill approximately 68 kilometres from the capital of Burundi, Gitega.
Its construction which was carried out under a public-private partnership began n January 2020 after reaching a financial close in 2019. Following its completion, the facility with over 25,000 solar panels, began commercial operation in 2021. This was after a series of delays owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The project was developed by the Republic of Burundi and Gigawatt Global, an Israel-based Dutch-registered company. Voltalia served as the engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contractor for the project while political risk re-insurance is provided by DFC.
Inspired Evolution, Renewable Energy Performance Platform (REPP), and Gigawatt Global funded the construction of the Mubuga solar power plant. Additional support was provided directly and indirectly by the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP), and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO). The construction loans are being refinanced by the US International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
Reported ealier
Jan 2017
Construction of 7.5 MW Burundi solar park kicks off
Solar and social development enterprise Gigawatt Global broke ground on a 7.5 MW Burundi solar park that will increase the country’s electricity generation aptitude.
The US $14-million project is being built in the Mubuga district, in one of the world’s least-developed states and is estimated to be connected to the national grid by the fourth quarter of this year.
“This high-impact development outlay, supported by leading international financial institutions, indicates that Burundi is open for development and big business,” said Michael Fichtenberg the company’s finance and business development VP.
This will be the leading private international investment in the power sector in Burundi in almost 30 years, with the national electricity company Regediso buying the power under a 25-year contract.
“We were very thrilled at the groundbreaking of the Gigawatt Burundi solar field. After its accomplishment in Rwanda, Gigawatt Global has demonstrated it can be relied on to distribute efficient, clean renewable energy at a realistic price, contributing significantly to our economy and our community.
Gigawatt Global, a US-owned Dutch developer, is a founding member of the Power Africa initiative and financed and developed the initial commercial-scale solar field in continental sub-Saharan Africa (outside of South Africa) in neighbouring Rwanda in 2014.
The project has been sustained by a grant from the Energy and Environment Partnership and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries to cover the appropriate studies. The project is also supported by African-European Union Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform, presently engaging in project due diligence.
“Gigawatt Global is estimating to use US $ 2 billion in renewable-energy projects in Africa as partners of the White House Power Africa initiative in the next years as renewables are taking the lead in power generation in Africa and emerging markets,” said CEO Josef Abramowitz.
Jan 2020
Construction of Mubuga solar power plant in Burundi resumes
Construction works on Mubuga solar power plant in Burundi have resumed after almost 2 years of non-activity according to project developers Gigawatt Global. The project is being built in the Mubuga district in the eastern province of Gitega, one of the world’s least-developed states.
It will be developed under a public-private partnership between the Government of Burundi and Gigawatt Global.
The first solar project connected to the grid by IPP in Burundi
The project has been sustained by a grant from the Energy and Environment Partnership Programme and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries. The project is also supported by African-European Union Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme and the Renewable Energy Performance Platform, presently engaging in project due diligence. It will be the first solar project connected to the grid by an independent power producer (IPP) in Burundi.
Also Read: US $15m loan approved for solar photovoltaic project in Togo
Burundi has only 40MW of electrical power at a 10% electrification rate. The average per capita electricity consumption of the East African country is among the lowest on the continent at 23 kWh/year, compared to an African average of 150 kWh/year. The Mubuga solar power plant represents the largest investment in energy in 30 years.
Upon completion, the power plant is expected to produce 7.5MW of power. This will supply electricity to approximately 90,000 Burundians and improve the country’s electricity capacity by 15%. 300 part-time jobs during construction and 50 full-time jobs during the 25-year operating period will be created.
The developers also plan to construct a scalable mini-grid scheme alongside the grid-based project for the local community and will provide yearly support to the community to improve the economic potential and living standards.
Oct 2021
Mubuga Solar Power Plant in Burundi Starts Commercial Operations
After six years of planning and construction, the 7.5MW Mubuga Solar Power Plant in Burundi, the first of its kind in the East African country has started commercial operations, which makes it the country’s first substantial energy generation project to go online in over three decades.
Also Read: Construction of Mubuga solar power plant in Burundi resumes
Located near the village of Mubuga in Mubuga district, which is in the eastern province of Gitega, reportedly one of the world’s least-developed states, Mubuga Solar Power Plant will increase Burundi’s production capacity by more than 10%, significantly boosting the supply of the electricity grid and support international efforts to increase funding for renewable energy, especially for the most vulnerable communities around the Globe.
Mubuga Solar Power Plant project team
The Mubuga Solar Power Plant was constructed by Gigawatt Global Coöperatief U.A., a multinational renewable energy company focused on the development and management of utility-scale solar fields in emerging markets.
The project was backed by the UK government with additional support provided directly and indirectly from the Energy and Environment Partnership (EEP), a fund set up by Finland in collaboration with the UK and Austria, and the Belgian Investment Company for Developing Countries (BIO).
BIO is a private company, based in Brussels, Belgium, whose objective is to support a strong private sector in developing and/or emerging countries, to enable them to gain access to growth and sustainable development within the framework of the Sustainable Development Goals.
Other key project players
Trinity International LLP, a corporate finance law firm focusing on energy, infrastructure, resources, and industry advised the Gigawatt Global and Inspired Evolution equity teams since 2017 while Voltalia, an international player in the renewable energy sector provided the engineering, procurement, and construction services.
The political risk re-insurance was provided by the United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).
