The Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) and SkyPower Global have agreed to jointly develop the initial phase of a solar power project in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), aiming for a total capacity of 1,000 MW. AFC, a multilateral pan-African development finance institution, focuses on driving private sector infrastructure development across Africa, while SkyPower, a Canada-based solar energy group, is collaborating on the project.
“Partnering with SkyPower, an institution known for their decades of global experience in large-scale solar projects, is well aligned with our mission to advance energy access on the continent through renewable energy,” affirmed AFC project development and technical solutions senior director Amadou Wadda. “Through this collaboration, we aim to contribute significantly to rapid industrialization, local job creation, sustainable economic growth, and a pragmatic transition to net zero in the DRC and Africa as a whole.”
“Partnering with AFC exemplifies a concerted effort towards realising the ambitious goals set by forward-looking countries such as the DRC, aiming for a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone,” highlighted SkyPower president and CEO Kerry Adler. “This agreement underlines AFC’s pivotal contribution to promoting renewable energy solutions and both AFC and SkyPower’s unwavering commitment and dedication to ensuring a greener, more resilient world.”
SkyPower already has a 1,000 MW solar power purchase agreement with the Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNEL). The SNEL is the state-owned electricity utility of the DRC. The total solar power project has been denominated the Green Giant project by SkyPower.
The joint development agreement covers Phase 1 of the project, which entails constructing a 200 MW capacity array. All the necessary land allocations and approvals have been secured, paving the way for construction to commence next year.
