Akuo, Enelec activate pilot containerised solar plant in Madagascar

• France's Akuo Energy as well as Groupe Filatex have commissioned a 2.9-MWp solar plant in Madagascar consisting of containerised pre-assembled photovoltaic (PV) units.

The French eco-friendly power producer is partnering in the project with Enelec, the energy system of Madagascar-based renewable resource group Filatex.

The pilot mobile PV plant, located in the port city of Tulear, uses 44 of Akuo's Solar GEM containerised "plug as well as play" systems, each of which uses 200 PV panels that are fully pre-assembled and pre-wired. The remedy, Akuo says, is suitable for sites with extreme climate condition and unsteady settings due to the quick setup process as well as option for moving.

The project, an initial of its kind in Madagascar, required an investment of EUR 6 million (USD 7.1 m). Part of this amount was moneyed by charitable company Atmosfair. If successful, Akuo and Enelec will certainly turn out more similar nuclear power plant "in the months to find," said Hasnaine Yavarhoussen, CEO of Groupe Filatex.

According to information by the World Bank, only 15% of Madagascar's populace has accessibility to power. The local government has set a goal to expand energy accessibility to 70% of the populace by 2030.