Niger unveils 22-MW power plant

Mohamed Bazoum, President of Niger, inaugurated Wednesday a 22 Megawatt energy plant in the eastern city of Zender with a total investment of $23.6 million as part of efforts to increase energy connectivity in the West African country where only 20 per cent of territory having access to energy.

The facility was built by the Mauritanian company ISTITHMAR West Africa (IWA) and its Turkish partner WINENERJI, reports say.

The two partners will also operate the plant running diesel and later hand it over to Nigerien authorities as part of the deal. The new plant, according to the energy minister Ibrahim Yacoubou, is inscribed in the country’s national energy accessibility strategy (SNAE) which aims to increase the current electrification rate from 20% to 80% by 2035 with an intermediate target of 40% by 2025.

The West African country, Yacoubou also indicated, has launched a variety of energy projects in line with the strategy. The projects include a 30 MW solar energy plant in capital Niamey expected to be inaugurated early April next year, an under construction hybrid diesel-solar 25 MW in the city of Agadez, in addition to 15 other energy projects.

Also, Niger will build 20MW plant in the city Maradi and hybrid 10MW plants in the cities of Diffa and Dosso, with funds provided by the African Development Bank, the official indicated.