A call for tenders for the construction of a solar power plant and two mini hybrid power plants has been launched in Guinea Bissau by African Biofuel and Renewable Energy Co (ABREC).
The project aims to increase the country’s electricity production. It will involve construction of a 20MW and two 1MW solar power plants. The largest facility (20 MW) will be located 8 km from Bissau, the capital.
Also Read: Upington solar power complex in South Africa connected to the national grid
Tender Details
This solar power plant will be equipped with batteries to store energy and then provide electricity to the people of Bissau and surrounding communities after sunset. The company that will build this solar park should also provide a 30 kV line to transport electricity to Bôr where it will be fed into the national grid.
The other two plants will be hybrid. The first, with a capacity of 1 MW, will be built in Canchungo, a city of more than 7,000 inhabitants located in the west of the country. This small power plant will be equipped with batteries for energy storage and a backup generator. The electricity will be evacuated via a medium and low-voltage transmission line that the selected company will have to install.
The second hybrid power plant will be installed in the Gabu region. With a 1 MW capacity as well, it will also operate with batteries for electricity storage. The small solar park will also be equipped with back-up generators and a medium and low-voltage line for electricity distribution in the eastern region of Guinea Bissau.
The energy projects will be financed by a US $42.9m loan from the West African Development Bank. Companies interested in the ABREC call for tenders have until April 10, 2019 to apply.
Energy state in Guinea Bissau
The implementation of these projects is crucial to Guinea-Bissau’s economy. With a population estimated at 1.86 million people, Guinea-Bissau has one of the lowest rates of electrification in all of Africa, with vast areas of its territory having no access to electricity, while biomass accounts for approximately 95% of the energy consumed in the country.
The total production of electricity in the country currently is 13 ktoe with all of it produced from fossil fuels. Only a small proportion of the population outside the capital has access to public electricity supply which they receive on part time basis. Rural areas have 21.5% access.
