Niger is banking on its sunshine to boost its electricity supply. In Niamey, the state has signed an agreement for 126,1 billion CFA francs for the construction of a 200 MWp photovoltaic solar power plant, equipped with storage batteries.
The project is expected to significantly increase the country's electricity production capacity. The electricity produced will be sold to NIGELEC at a rate of 35 FCFA per kilowatt-hour, before the infrastructure is transferred to the State at the end of the 20-year contract.
One of the major advantages of this power plant lies in its storage system. Batteries will allow it to store some of the energy produced when sunlight is abundant, and then release it when solar production decreases. This solution should help to make the supply more consistent and to better utilize Niger's solar potential.
The project will be preceded by six months of preparation, followed by 24 months of work and studies. It is expected to generate approximately 1,300 direct and indirect jobs, thus offering opportunities to workers and companies involved in the infrastructure project.
Beyond electricity production, this project represents an investment in a sector essential to economic activity. More available and stable energy can support businesses, services, and households, while gradually reducing the country's dependence on electricity imports.
With this power plant, Niger continues to harness a resource it has in abundance: the sun. The objective is clear: to produce more electricity within its own borders and gradually strengthen its energy independence.
Yolande Bazié
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