Burkina Faso to host its first solar module factory

Faso Energy has started construction on a solar module manufacturing facility in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso.

The company said the factory is being built with the financial support of the country’s government and in partnership with Spanish equipment provider Mondragon, which has supplied a semi-automatic PV production line for the facility.

The factory, which will have an initial capacity of 40 MW, will produce both mono and multicrystalline modules of 4 busbars to 5 busbars with a TUV certification for the IEC6125 and IEC61730 standards. The panels, which will have a power range of 100 W to 325 W, will be commercialized mostly in the African markets, the company said in its statement.

The initial investment in the factory was around €5 million and was made by private investors. The company also said it will probably expand by another 20 MW the capacity of the manufacturing facility at a later stage, without providing further details.

Burkina Faso has an abundant solar resource, but remains one of the least-developed countries in the region in terms of energy infrastructure. Less than 20% of the population has access to electricity, and there is heavy reliance on imported fossil fuels.

A 33 MW solar plant is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in August. The project is being financed by France’s Development Agency (AFD) and the European Union with €22.5 million and €25 million funds respectively. Upon its completion, the Zagtouli plant will supply 5% – about 55 GWh per year- of the country’s total electricity consumption at a very competitive price, said the AFD.