Togo launches first large scale solar project

Togo’s Council of Ministers has approved a 30 MW solar power project in Blitta, a prefecture and town in the central region of the country.

“Environmental and social studies have revealed that the implementation of this project will affect the plots of land of people living in the direct area of the project,” the government stated. “Given the importance of this project for the country and the need to carry out the expropriation procedure in order to ensure a fair and prior compensation of the affected people, it is essential to carry out the declaration of public utility of said project.”

The project is said to be part of Togo’s National Development Plan, which is aimed at reducing dependence on power imports.

The announcement of country’s first large scale solar project comes two weeks after the Togolese government joined the World Bank’s Scaling Solar program. Through a memorandum of understanding with the multinational lender’s private sector unit the International Financial Corporation, the government intends to develop solar projects with a combined generation capacity of 90 MW.

When realized, the facilities will be the first utility scale solar developments in a country which has so far seen only rural electrification solar projects.