Niger holds firm on strategy to construct solar park at diesel-fueled thermal plant

• The solar plant is expected to have a capacity of up to 60 MW and also will certainly be situated at the 100 MW Gorou Banda thermal power plant appointed in 2017.

Niger's Council of Ministers has adopted a mandate mentioning a solar power terminal at Gorou Banda near Niamey, the nation's funding, to be of public utility. The task had actually already been declared of public utility in October 2018, yet at the time its planned capability was 20 MW.

The new project will certainly rather have actually an expected ability varying from 30 MW to 60 MW. "This treatment will certainly offer the room needed for the installment of the photovoltaic or pv plant," the country's closet defined.

The solar park will make use of the exact same grid connection of a co-located 100 MW diesel-fueled thermal power plant that was commissioned in 2017. They will certainly both be attached to a medium-voltage substation in Zabori.

According to a document released by the World Bank back then, the Gorou Banda diesel power plant was to give sufficient power to fulfill expected demand for a five-year duration-- at a high generation expense-- up until less expensive options appeared.

The World Bank cited hydro, coal or imported power from surrounding West African states as possible options as well as also pointed out a plan to deploy 100 MW of PV capacity. "Two grid-connected solar PV projects-- 30 MW in Gorou Banda and also 30 MW in Guessel Bodi-- have actually been determined as well as are under prep work," the World Bank record mentioned.

Niger is currently fulfilling every one of its power demand with electrical energy imports from Nigeria. Its electric utility, Nigelec, has an installed power generation capacity of around 140 MW. The gain access to rate to power in the nation is just 15%.