BURKINA FASO
POWER AFRICA FACT SHEET
Power Africa has supported the development of 33 megawatts (MW) of electricity generation projects in Burkina Faso. In addition, various firms have received U.S. Embassy support to move transactions forward. The page below gives an overview of the energy sector in Burkina Faso, and lists Power Africa’s financially closed transactions in the country, some of which are already online and generating critical electricity supply for the people of Burkina Faso.
BURKINA FASO ENERGY SECTOR OVERVIEW
Population: 19.75 million | GDP (1): $14.13 billion
Burkina Faso currently has some of the most expensive electricity in the region, with cost of production at $0.22-0.25 USD/kWh. The Government of Burkina Faso (GOBF) has set forth a bold national plan and has taken steps to introduce legislation to encourage private-sector investment and to liberalize electricity generation and distribution. The National Plan for Economic and Social Development, launched in 2016, seeks to increase Burkina’s electricity access rate from 20% to 80%, doubling the number of customers to 1 million, and increasing installed capacity to 1,000 megawatts (MW). This goal has not yet been achieved.
A new law adopted in April 2017 removes market segmentation and the single-buyer model, liberalizes production and distribution, and adopts provisions relating to renewable energy and energy efficiency. In 2016, the GOBF created the National Agency for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ANEREE) to promote the use of renewable energy. ANEREE is a subunit of the Ministry of Energy and seeks to encourage the use of renewable energy, while facilitating greater access to energy in the country’s rural areas via partnerships with NGOs and technical service providers.
In 2017, Burkina Faso inaugurated the Zagtouli solar power plant with support from the European Union and the French Development Agency (AFD).
Issues include utility creditworthiness, and limited experience addressing IPPs and off-grid populations.
GENERATION CAPACITY
Total Installed Capacity (2): 568 MW
- Hydro: 37 MW
- Thermal: 72 MW
- Solar: 51 MW
- HFOs, Other: 149 MW
- Diesel: 259 MW
Power Africa new MW to date at financial close: 33 MW
CONNECTIONS
- Current Access Rate (3): 20%
- Urban: 64%
- Rural: <5%
- Power Africa new connections: 220,917
POWER AFRICA FINANCIALLY CLOSED TRANSACTIONS IN BURKINA FASO
Updated: May 03, 2019
Centrale solaire photovoltaïque de Zagtouli (Solar – 33M W)
Financial Close Date: 04/04/2017
Commercial Operations Date: 09/01/2017
Estimated Project Cost: $47.5M
Overview: This 33 MW plant was, at the time of commissioning, West Africa’s largest in terms of installed capacity. Energy needs in Burkina Faso are growing at a 13% annualized rate, and the country is currently importing energy from Cote d'Ivoire. The plant was built by Cegelec, and funded by donations from the European Union and France’s development agency, permitting $0.084 per kilowatt-hour, which is considerable cheaper than thermal production.
Sources
