Ivory Coast switches on 52 MW of solar

A 52 MW solar project has been inaugurated in the Ivory Coast.

The Ferké solar power plant, located in the northern Tchologo region of the country, is a XOF 41 billion ($71.5 million) project spread across 70 hectares that features over 73,000 solar panels and is set to produce 90 GWh of electricity annually. 

Plans for the site were first announced in February 2024 via the signing of a concession agreement between the government of the Ivory Coast and infrastructure investor PFO Africa.

Speaking during an inauguration ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister, Téné Birahima Ouattara, said the solar plant will support more than 370,000 households alongside schools, health centers and businesses in the region.

He added that solar power represents a “real opportunity” for the Ivory Coast. “It will reduce energy costs, accelerate the electrification of rural areas, create jobs, particularly for our youth, strengthen our energy sovereignty and support sustainable and inclusive development,” Ouattara said. 

According to a press release published by the government, the Ferké solar project is the second of its kind to enter operations in the Ivory Coast, following the Boundiali solar project which was inaugurated in April 2024.

Several other large-scale solar sites are under development in the country, including the 50 MW Kong solar project and 52 MW M’Bengue solar facility, which both have scheduled commissioning dates before the end of 2027. An additional 50 MW project is under construction by a project company owned entirely by the UAE’s Amea Power.

The Ivory Coast is working towards a target of increasing the share of renewables in its energy mix to 46.3% by 2035. The target includes increasing solar capacity to more than 1.3 GW by the same year.

The Africa Solar Industry Association (AFSIA) has tracked 660 MW of operational solar in the Ivory Coast, according to figures available in its project database, the majority of which is listed as unidentified commercial and industrial projects. The database lists a further 199 MW of solar as under construction.

According to the government’s latest update, access to electricity across the Ivory Coast now stands at 90%, up from around a third in 2011.