A memorandum of agreement (MoA) for the development of up to 200 MW of solar PV was signed by the government of Niger and the British renewable energy business Savannah Energy.
The two solar power plants will be part of the projects, which will be situated 20 kilometers from Maradi and Zinder in southern Niger and close to the Nigerian border.
Once operational, each plant, which is anticipated to have an installed capacity of between 50 and 100 MW, will boost the nation’s power production by 20%.
Once the projects have completed feasibility studies in the upcoming 12 months, they are expected to be operational between 2025 and 2026.
This is not the first such agreement that Savannah Energy has signed in West Africa, as it will develop up to 400 MW of solar in Niger’s neighboring country, Chad.
According to Andrew Knott, CEO of Savannah Energy, the company intends to reach an installed renewable capacity of 1 GW across solar, wind, and hydropower by the end of the year.
“These projects are an example of the Republic of Niger’s strategy to increase electricity access for our people at an affordable cost through an expanding energy mix, as we have outlined in our National Strategy of Energy Access (“SNAE”) and our National Policy Document on Electricity (“DPNE”),” said Ibrahim Yacoubou, the Republic of Niger’s state minister for energy and renewable energies.
