Six IPPs Compete for Niger’s Gorou Banda Solar Plant Contract

The Niger government has announced the results of the pre-qualification process for the design, financing, and construction of the Gorou Banda solar photovoltaic plant, located near Niamey. A total of six independent power producers (IPPs) have been selected in the first phase of the tender for this project. 

Among the selected IPPs is the Norwegian group Scatec Solar which is competing with the Egyptian firms, Elsewedy Electric and Infinity Power Holding. The French companies GreenYellow, a subsidiary of the Casino Group, and Voltalia, as well as IPP Nareva Holding, owned by the Moroccan company Al Mada, are also in the running for the construction of the Guru Banda solar power plant.

The 50 MWp solar facility will be built at the 100 MW Gorou Banda thermal power station. The solar park will use the same grid connection as the thermal power plant, and both will be connected to a medium-voltage substation located in Zabori.

The Gorou Banda solar project will be developed under the “Scaling Solar” program of International Finance Corporation (IFC),  the subsidiary of the World Bank Group, and supported by the French Development Agency and the European Union. The program aims to encourage private investments in solar energy development, in order to increase renewable energy in the national electricity network of the partner country, ensuring the rapid execution of the projects.

Niger had an installed PV capacity of just around 27 MW at the end of 2020. The African country has an electricity access rate of less than 20% and currently meets the majority of its power demand with electricity imports from Nigeria. The future solar PV plant will increase Niger’s installed renewable capacity and reduce its dependence on conventional fuels.