The Central African Republic has inaugurated a 50-megawatt (MW) solar power plant with battery storage in Sakaï, near the capital Bangui, marking the largest infrastructure project in the country’s history. Developed by Abu Dhabi-based Global South Utilities, the project is expected to significantly improve electricity supply in a country facing severe and long-standing power shortages.
The facility combines 50 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity with a 15-megawatt-hour (MWh) Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The storage system will help stabilize the electricity grid by storing surplus solar power generated during the day and supplying electricity during periods of high demand and after sunset.
The solar plant was built using more than 80,000 solar panels and 156 inverters. Construction was completed in just ten months, with the project recording nearly 450,000 safe working hours.
Central African Republic President Faustin-Archange Touadéra attended the inauguration ceremony along with senior government officials, project representatives and international partners. The project received concessional financing from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development under economic cooperation agreements between the Central African Republic and the United Arab Emirates.
The new solar facility is expected to provide clean and reliable electricity to more than 300,000 households. Improved power availability will also support hospitals, health centres, schools and digital infrastructure, while helping businesses and industries operate more efficiently.
The project is expected to contribute to economic development by improving energy reliability and creating better conditions for investment and industrial activity. It will also reduce the country’s dependence on conventional power generation and support its transition toward cleaner energy.
Environmentally, the plant is projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by more than 50,000 tonnes annually. With less than 20 percent of the population currently connected to the electricity grid, the project represents an important step toward expanding energy access and strengthening the country’s power infrastructure.
The Sakaï solar and battery project therefore marks a major milestone in the Central African Republic’s efforts to improve electricity availability, support economic growth and accelerate sustainable development.
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