Tender for 32 MW solar project subcontractors in Chad

A tender seeking an engineering company for a planned 32 MW solar plant in Chad has been published by UK-based Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG).

Contractors have until July 31 to submit proposals for the tender.

The Chadian solar plant is the first phase of the 60 MW Djermaya Solar project being developed by the Aldwych Africa Developments Limited unit of U.K.-based InfraCo Africa Limited – itself part of PIDG – and French renewables developer Smart Energies International SAS.

Djermaya Solar is planned 30km north of Chadian capital N’Djamena and secured a 25-year power supply deal with utility Société Nationale d’Electricité in a separate procurement exercise. The African Development Bank is backing the project with an €18 million loan and partial risk guarantee.

It is estimated only 6.4% of the Chadian population has access to reliable electricity and the nation had only 1 MW of solar generation capacity at the end of last year, according to International Renewable Energy Agency figures. The U.S. Agency for International Development estimates the landlocked country has just 125 MW of total power generation capacity, with most of it diesel and heavy fuel oil which primarily serves N’Djamena.