Home Africa AfDB approves $5 million fund to expand solar energy generation in G5 Sahel countries

AfDB approves $5 million fund to expand solar energy generation in G5 Sahel countries

by Blessing Ubani

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has approved US$ 5m grant to a Desert-to-Power technical support programme that will expand and pilot the solar generation in G5 Sahel countries, where approximately 60 million people lack access to electricity

The 5 million dollars grant which is technical assistance from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA), will be channelled to finance three major components which include, technical studies for the integration of variable renewable energy (primarily solar) in national grids; feasibility studies for solar hybridisation of existing isolated grids; and capacity building to support Chad to integrate the first solar power project (Djermaya Solar PV IPP) in its national grid.

According to Daniel Schroth, acting director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the AfDB, “This technical assistance programme responds directly to needs identified in the National Desert-to-Power roadmaps of the G5 Sahel countries. It specifically addresses key bottlenecks for the large-scale deployment of solar projects, and will help prepare bankable projects for subsequent investments,”

The Desert-to-Power initiative aims to transform the Sahel region into a renewable powerhouse by harnessing its solar potential to create the world’s largest solar zone, increase solar generation capacity by 10 GW through on and off-grid projects which will eventually change the standard and livelihood of over 250 million people across the Sahel region.

Other issues raised in the the G5 Sahel countries are lack of sufficient installed generation capacity, heavy dependence on imported fossil fuels and the inability of national grids to absorb greater amounts of intermittent renewable energy.

Daniel Schroth, acting director for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the AfDB, added that the end goal is that “This technical assistance programme responds directly to needs identified in the National Desert-to-Power roadmaps of the G5 Sahel countries, and specifically addresses key bottlenecks for the large-scale deployment of solar projects, and will help prepare bankable projects for subsequent investments,”

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