Mali, in collaboration with Russia, commenced construction work on a vast photovoltaic solar power plant on Friday, which is deemed the largest in West Africa according to the country’s Energy Minister, amidst electricity supply challenges.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on Friday, May 24th, in Sanankoroba, near Bamako.
The 200 MW photovoltaic solar power plant, spanning 314 hectares in Sanankoroba, near Bamako, aims to boost national electricity production by 10%, as stated by Grigory Nazarov, director of Novawind, a subsidiary of the Russian state atomic energy agency (Rosatom) responsible for construction.
“This plant, the largest in the country and even in the sub-region, will significantly alleviate the current electricity shortage in the country,” Energy Minister Bintou Camara stated on the national television network ORTM.
The construction, costing over 200 million euros, is expected to last one year, Mr. Nazarov indicated.
The plant is designed for “stable operation for 20 years” and will transition “under the full control of the Malian Ministry of Energy” after 10 years, he added.
Energy mix diversification objectives
Malian electricity production relies 70% on thermal sources, which are extremely costly and heavily strain the financial balance of the Société Énergie du Mali (EDM-SA), declared Malian Minister of Economy Alousséni Sanou during the signing of the agreement with Novawind in March.
“This plant represents a significant step towards diversifying Mali’s energy mix and reducing its dependence on fossil fuels,” stated the presidency.
Burdened with a debt exceeding 200 billion CFA francs (around 300 million euros), the Malian national energy company is struggling to provide electricity coverage to the capital and other regions of the country.
Alongside the commencement of the power plant’s construction, Novawind expressed its commitment to actively contribute to Mali’s sustainable development by providing a clean and reliable energy source.
Construction work for two other solar power plants near Bamako is also scheduled to commence on May 28th and June 1st, with a combined capacity of 200 MW, built respectively by Chinese and Emirati companies.
“Our minimum requirement is 500 MW, and if we manage to produce 350 MW in renewable energy alone,” integrated with the rest of the national electricity production, “this will significantly meet Mali’s needs by 2025,” assured Malian Minister of Economy Alousséni Sanou on ORTM.
Beyond solar energy, Mali and Russia signed a cooperation agreement last October to develop civil nuclear power.