UAE company to develop solar power plant in Côte d'Ivoire - ESI Africa

UAE company to develop solar power plant in Côte d'Ivoire

A leading clean energy company has signed an agreement with the Côte d’Ivoire government to explore the development of a solar power plant with a capacity of up to 70 megawatts (MW).

As per the agreement, the UAE’s Masdar and Côte d’Ivoire’s Mining, Petroleum and Energy Ministry would explore the joint development of solar photovoltaic plants in the West African nation, starting with a 50-70MW plant.

The plant would form part of Côte d’Ivoire’s goal of 42% of its energy mix coming from renewable sources by 2030.

Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, the Ivorian Minister of Mining, Petroleum and Energy, said the country has committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions by 32% and to increasing the share of renewable energies in its energy mix to 45% by 2030.

“In accordance with its commitments, Côte d’Ivoire has drawn up a master plan for the development of its production facilities, which integrates solar, hydroelectricity and biomass. The framework agreement that we have just signed with Masdar, accompanied by a first project of 50 to 70MW, will contribute, in addition to the other initiatives that the Ivorian government is undertaking, to achieving this ambitious objective.”

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Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, Masdar CEO, said: “As part of Masdar’s new shareholding structure launched in December, we have a goal of delivering 100GW of clean energy around the world by 2030.

“With Africa’s massive projected development and growth and low current clean energy penetration levels, we see enormous potential for the renewable energy sector across the continent. This agreement will support Côte d’Ivoire’s clean energy goals and help to drive sustainable economic development for the nation.”

The agreements were signed under the umbrella of the Etihad 7 initiative, a UAE-led programme that aims to raise public- and private-sector funds to invest in the development of Africa’s renewable energy sector, with the aim of achieving 20GW capacity to supply 100 million people across the continent with clean electricity by 2035.

Other renewable energy projects in Africa

With the Côte d’Ivoire signing, there are now five Etihad 7 projects under agreement, with three others signed at ADSW (Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week) 2023.

These include:

- An agreement with Angola’s Ministry of Energy and Water for the development of renewable energy projects with a total capacity of 2GW;
- An agreement with Uganda’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for the development of greenfield renewable projects with a total installed capacity of 1GW; and
- An agreement with Zambia’s Ministry of Energy, and Zambian national utility ZESCO Limited for the joint development of solar, wind, and hydroelectricity projects with a total capacity of 2GW.

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Last August, Masdar also signed an agreement with TANESCO, the sole provider of electricity in Tanzania, to develop renewable energy projects with a total capacity of up to 2GW, also under the umbrella of the Etihad 7 programme.

The two parties are in the process of finalising the establishment of a joint venture company to advance this strategic collaboration.

Masdar also formed its Infinity Power Holding joint venture with Egypt’s Infinity to target opportunities on the continent.

In November, Masdar, Infinity Power and Hassan Allam Utilities signed an agreement with the Egyptian government to develop a 10GW onshore wind project – one of the largest wind farms in the world.

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The three companies are also cooperating on the development of green hydrogen projects in Egypt, targeting a combined electrolyser capacity of 4GW by 2030, and an output of up to 480,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. Masdar also has projects in Mauritania, Morocco, and Seychelles.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), less than half of the Sub-Saharan African population has access to electricity, with Africa generating only 20% of its electricity from renewable sources.

The continent has a theoretical potential capacity of approximately 850 terawatts (TW) of solar and wind, according to a report produced last year produced by Masdar and Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week with analytical support provided by McKinsey & Company.