Ivory Coast bets on photo voltaic in clear power drive – TechnoNews

The solar beats down from a cloudless sky in town of Boundiali, the place Ivory Coast’s first solar energy plant embodies the drive to embrace clear power with out abandoning fossil fuels.

In contrast to the wetter, cloudier south, the local weather in northern Ivory Coast bordering Burkina Faso and Mali is sizzling and dry for round eight months of the 12 months.

“Irradiance is very high” within the area, plant engineer Franck Alain Yayo informed AFP, referring to the depth of the Solar’s power.

The Boundiali plant, which opened in June 2023, goals to enhance the electrical energy provide to greater than 430,000 households, the power ministry stated.

Though Ivory Coast has about 10 smaller solar energy crops serving villages at an area degree, Boundiali is the primary on the nationwide grid.

The nation, which already exports about 10 p.c of its electrical energy to neighbors, goals to generate practically half of its power from renewable sources by 2030.

The Worldwide Power Company (IEA) estimates that half the inhabitants of sub-Saharan Africa has no entry to electrical energy.

And but, it added in a current report: “Africa is home to 60 percent of the best solar resources globally, yet only one percent of installed solar PV (photovoltaic) capacity.”

Whereas the continent has doubled its capability to provide clear power within the final 10 years, African renewables nonetheless account for simply two p.c of world capability.

Name for personal funding

The northern Ivorian city has some 68,000 photo voltaic panels purchased from China specified by rows throughout 36 hectares (89 acres).

The panels convert daylight, not warmth, into electrical energy.

By the tip of subsequent 12 months, the intention is to have twice as many panels to succeed in a manufacturing capability of 80 MWp (Megawatt peak, a measure of the utmost potential output).

That might avoid wasting 60,000 tonnes of CO₂ equal per 12 months, say the authorities.

The 75.6-million-euro ($82.1-million) value of constructing the solar energy station was financed by Ivory Coast, a German mortgage and a European Union grant.

“This is the result of the EU’s long-standing commitment to the renewable energy sector, with almost 140 million euros since 2017,” EU ambassador to Ivory Coast Francesca Di Mauro informed AFP.

Nonetheless, worldwide public funding to help sub-Saharan Africa’s transition in the direction of clear power is not going to be sufficient.

Final 12 months, the IEA referred to as for personal funding to be stepped as much as account for 60 p.c of financing.

Solar energy is at present a small a part of the Ivorian power combine—the Boundiali plant contributes only one p.c of nationwide manufacturing.

Almost 70 p.c of the nation’s electrical energy comes from gas-fired thermal energy crops, whereas hydroelectric energy stations account for the remaining, all positioned within the south.

By 2030, Ivory Coast has pledged to extend its share of renewable power to 45 p.c, together with 9 p.c photo voltaic, and to cut back its greenhouse gasoline emissions by 30 p.c.

Fossil fuels nevertheless nonetheless play a key function.

New oil, gasoline discoveries

The West African nation not too long ago found two large oil and pure gasoline deposits.

One among them, the Calao subject, “will eventually meet the country’s electricity production needs”, stated Power Minister Sangafowa Coulibaly.

It might additionally assist scale back electrical energy payments, which might be a welcome reduction to homeowners after costs rose by 10 p.c in January.

“Every day the sun shines on our heads” the price of manufacturing is “very low”, plant engineer Yayo stated.

Yayo, who discovered his abilities in Burkina Faso, regretted that his nation had neither the know-how nor the experience to coach folks.

Ivory Coast’s state-run firm CI-Energies, which handles Boundiali plant’s infrastructure, quickly subcontracts to French civil engineering agency Eiffage.

It’s Eiffage which is coaching lots of the staff, most of them native folks.

On this area of round 92,000 folks, some 350 have been employed since building of the plant started.

Most have been taken on with short-term contracts to put in photo voltaic panels or perform upkeep.

Amongst them was Oumar Konate, who beforehand labored in farming in addition to doing odd jobs on the town.

Employment within the rural space was exhausting to return by, he stated. “I prefer to work here. The pay is better. I can feed my family.”

© 2024 AFP