Zina solar power plant project has reached a new milestone following its financial closure. This milestone was announced by Amea Power, a UAE-based independent power producer (IPP) and the developer of the 26.6 MWp facility that is being built approximately 185km from the capital city Ouagadougou, in the village of Zina in the Mouhoun province of Burkina Faso.
Financed by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the IFC-Canada Climate Change Program and the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a member of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), the project is being executed by Zina Solaire, a project company fully owned by AMEA Power.
The electricity generated at Zina will be sold to the Société nationale d’électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL) under a 25-year power purchase agreement, in compliance with this type of contract. It is said that the solar power plant’s construction has been handed over to Sinohydro.
Impacts of the Zina solar power plant to people and the environment
The Zina solar power plant, according to Amea Power, would impact the lives of 43,000 Burkina Faso citizens while eliminating the emission of 13,200 tonnes of CO2 equivalent annually. It will be the Emirati IPP’s second plant in West Africa, after the one in Blitta, which injects 50 MWp into Togo’s national electricity grid.
The authorities of Burkina Faso are said to be looking forward to boosting the country’s installed capacity from the project.
Also Read: Plans to deploy 60-70 MW of battery electricity storage solutions in Burkina Faso
It is said that Burkina Faso has a 568 MW installed capacity for a population of almost 21 million people. According to Power Africa, 80% of the population in the West African country still lacks access to electricity.
Reported earlier
Feb 2015
Bukina Faso to install US$50m solar photovoltaic plant
The government of Burkina Faso has signed a deal worth $ 50 million with Canadian-based renewable energy producer Windiga energy will install and develop a 20 megawatts solar photovoltaic plant in the country. The plant will be completed in 2015 and located in Zina, the Mouhoun province.
The agreement will permit the company to complete a 25-year power purchase conformity with the National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso.
The solar photovoltaic power plant is alleged will be the largest in sub-Saharan Africa, the facility is set to be completed at the end of this year, says windiga CEO Mr Benoit La Salle. It will also be built and operated by Siemens Energy Smart Generation Solutions.
Mr Benoit added that they were very pleased with the support they received from the government of Burkina Faso and from the government side (Canada) for allowing them to conclude the agreement that will facilitate a major construction of a renewable solar project and the lunch of solar energy industry in Burkina Faso.
He further revealed that the major financers of the solar plant construction project included the Africa development bank; the Frontier markets fund managers and the Emerging Africa infrastructure fund.
The project will not only lead to employing about 150 or more workers from Burkina Faso during the construction step but also contribute greatly to the economy of the country as a whole; this will mean an affordable and reliable power supply for economic growth.
