Burkina Faso obtains its first solar panel factory “Faso Energy” with an annual production capacity of 30 MW for an investment of 3 billion CFA
Faso Energy’s new solar panel manufacturing plant in Burkina Faso, West Africa, inaugurated by the country’s Prime Minister, Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire (dressed in yellow), is equipped to produce 200 solar panels a day with 5 busbar solar cell technology. (Photo Credit: Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire/Twitter)
The African nation of Burkina Faso has inaugurated its first solar photovoltaic panel production plant with an annual output of 30 MW, earning it the distinction of the “first” solar panel manufacturing plant in West Africa. Called Faso Energy, the factory was launched by the country’s Prime Minister, Christophe Joseph Marie Dabire, last week.
The new factory is located in the industrial zoen of the Kossodo district of Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, and 200 solar panels will be installed per day. According to the company’s website, with the help of “state-of-the-art machines of European origin” for its entire production chain, it will produce solar panels with an output power from 260 W to more than 330 W using solar cell technology from 5 busbars.
The first manufacturing line for the project was installed in August 2020. This factory will generate employment for the local population with 170 direct jobs and 2,000 indirect jobs while promoting solar photovoltaic installations in the country.
El Hadj Moussa Koanda is identified as the promoter of this project which was established for an investment of CFA 3 billion ($ 5.3 million). To launch this project, local media report, the factory has received several tax breaks, as well as the exemption from tariffs.
In July 2020, Teriak Industrial Group got Spain’s Mondragon Assembly to install and commission a 100 MW photovoltaic solar module production line in Egypt (see 100 MW photovoltaic solar module assembly line in Egypt).
Recently, within the framework of the Electricity Sector Support Project (Pasel) supported by the World Bank, the Government of Burkina Faso launched the construction of 2 solar power plants with 10 MW and 20 MW capacity through the local presence of the energy giant French Engie. The Energy Ministry said the 10 MW project will emerge in Kaya and 20 MW in Boulkiemdé in the city of Koudougou in Sanmanemos province. Both projects were tendered by the National Electricity Company of Burkina Faso (Sonabel) in January 2019 (see Tender for 30 MW solar energy in Burkina Faso).
The presence of a local solar panel production facility will help Burkina Faso increase its electricity generation capacity and diversify it. By the end of 2020, it aims to increase the rate of access to electricity in the country from 20% to 80% and by 2025 it should rise to 95%, according to the USAID of the US government. The accumulated installed capacity of renewable energy of the country until the end of 2019 reached 98 MW, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and photovoltaic solar energy contributed an estimated 62 MW.
Earlier in February 2020
A 30 MW solar power project in Burkina Faso entered the construction phase. French photovoltaic developer Urbasolar started work on the Pâ photovoltaic power plant in the Boucle du Mouhoun region. Developed under a public-private partnership (PPP) model with the state of Burkina Faso, the 30 MW facility will supply clean energy to the regions of Pâ, Wona, Houndé, Yaramoko and Boromo upon completion.
Construction of the plant is expected to last 10 months and once it is online, the 30 MW facility is expected to generate 51.7 GWh annually.