Toyota Tsusho Corporation, in partnership with Benin’s Société béninoise de production d’électricité (SBPE) and EPC contractor RMT-Eiffage, is developing the second 25 MW phase of the Illoulofin Solar Power Station in Pobè, Benin.
First contracted in August 2023, this expansion builds on an initial 25 MW phase of the Illoulofin Solar Power Project in Benin. Phase 1 of the Illoulofin Solar Power Project features the 25 MW Defissol Solar Project with 47, 212 photovoltaic (PV) modules and was commissioned in July, 2022. Toyota Tsusho’s 25 MW project features as Phase 2, and expects to go online soon. Phase 3 of the Illoulofin Solar Power Project in Benin is the 25 MW Forsun Solar Project which is also under construction. Upon completion, the three will total the Illoulofin power plant’s capacity to 75 MW.
Development on Toyota Tsusho’s 25 MW solar project in Benin continues to gear on as the project remains a core part of Benin’s renewable energy strategy. It is expected to help provide reliable electricity for schools, health centers, and local communities while contributing to the national target of 150 MW solar capacity by 2026.
The Illoulofin solar development also comes as more renewables investments continue to pool the West African state. Other outcropping solar developments include India’s Premier Energies’ USD 19.95 million solar power electrification order awarded on September 29, 2025.
Project Factsheet
Project Name: Illoulofin Solar Power Station Expansion by Toyota Tsusho
Location: Pobè Region, Benin
Developers: Toyota Tsusho Corporation (TTC), SBPE (Société Béninoise de Production d’Électricité) and RMT (Eiffage)
Capacity: 25 MW
Phase: Expansion of existing Illoulofin capacity
Toyota Tsusho Contract Agreement Date: August 2023
Planned Commissioning Date: 2024
Expected Commissioning Date: 2025
Utility: Part of the Illoulofin Solar Project which aims to scale from 25 MW to 50 MW, then 75 MW
Project Timeline
2019-2022: First phase of Illoulofin Solar Power Station, at 25 MW, installed and commissioned (July 2022)
August 2023: Contract signed between Toyota Tsusho, SBPE, and RMT for the second 25 MW phase
Late 2023: Construction commences on TTC’s second phase
2024: TTC’s second phase scheduled completion and commissioning
2025-2026: Expected verification of operation status
Toyota Tsusho Inks Agreement to Build a 25MW Solar Power Plant in Benin
Reported August 12, 2023 – Toyota Tsusho Corporation has signed an agreement with the Beninese Electricity Production Company to build a 25MW solar power plant in Benin. This project is the first major renewable energy power plant development effort by a Japanese corporation in West Africa.
Toyota Tsusho has contributed to increasing the production of renewable energy in Africa, including a 2015’s completion of a wind power project in Egypt with a capacity of 262 MW, and the start of commercial operation of a geothermal power plant in Kenya with a capacity of 280 MW.
Benin wants to improve and expand its access to energy. By becoming more self-sufficient and importing less power from its neighbors. Additionally, thermal power plants make up the majority of the nation’s power producing facilities. In order to meet these issues, Benin created a national plan to develop renewable energy sources, primarily solar photovoltaic electricity. By 2026, it hopes to have installed 150 MW worth of solar power producing capacity.
Also Read: Benin receives loan for drinking water and preservation of water bodies project
Completion Date for the 25MW Solar Power Plant in Benin
Construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2024. Toyota Tsusho conducted a project development study with support of the Benin Government’s Beninese Electricity Production Company. This was under the program, “Feasibility Study Project of Overseas Development for High-Quality Energy Infrastructure” by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in FY2021.
The project was accepted by the Beninese government after providing ideas that were optimal for the available local electricity. Together with RMT, a German EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) business and a part of the EIFFAGE Group, the 25 MW solar power plant, one of the biggest in Benin, confirmed a site in Benin’s Pobé region.
The construction of the 25MW solar power plant in Benin will be marketed as a Japanese public-private cooperation project. This is expected to provide reliable electricity at a lower cost.
Through the development and application of new renewable energy sources, Toyota Tsusho will also support the realization of a decarbonized society. This will be alongside green economic growth in Africa in order to leave a better global environment to the next generation.
