| Gourou Banda Solar Power Station | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Country | Niger |
| Location | Gourou Banda,Commune V,Niamey |
| Coordinates | 13°25′13″N02°06′45″E / 13.42028°N 2.11250°E /13.42028; 2.11250 |
| Status | Under construction |
| Construction began | 2021 |
| Commission date | August 2023 Expected |
| Construction cost | US$34 million (Stage 1); $70 million (Stages 1&2) |
| Owner | Government of Niger |
| Solar farm | |
| Type | Flat-panel PV |
| Power generation | |
| Nameplate capacity | 50 MW (67,000 hp) |
TheGourou Banda Solar Power Station is a 50 MW (67,000 hp)solar power plant under construction inNiger. This renewable energy infrastructure project is under development by anindependent power producer (IPP), under thebuild-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) model, with support from theInternational Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of theWorld Bank Group, as part of the bank's "Scaling Solar" program. The solar farm, first conceived in 2018, as a 20 megawatts installation, was expanded to capacity of 50 megawatts in 2020.[1][2]
The solar farm sits adjacent to the existing 100 megawattsGorou Banda Thermal Power Station, in Gorou Banda, inCommune V of the city ofNiamey, the capital and largest city in the country.[2] This is located on the southwest bank ofRiver Niger, across the river from thecentral business district of the city, about 15 kilometres (9 mi) southeast of theStade Général Seyni Kountché.[3]
As of September 2021, Niger's national generation capacity was reported as 284 megawatts, all of it derived from expensive "fossil fuels".[4] The national electrification rate was 18.8 percent, in 2019, with the government of Niger aiming to raise that rate to 80 percent by 2035, with 30 percent of generating capacity derived from renewable sources.[1][5]
The Gorou Banda Solar Plant represents the first grid-ready renewable energy source in the country. The electricity generated at this power station will be sold toSociété Nigérienne d'Electricité (Nigelec), the electricity company of Niger. The World Bank's "Scaling Solar" program works in a complimentary manner to meet the goals of the stakeholders.[5]
In September 2021, theGovernment of Niger called for pre-qualification of eligible IPPs to tender for the construction of this power station. Interested IPPs had until 22 November 2021 to apply.[4] IFC acted as advisor to the government of Niger, in this process.[5]
In February 2022, six IPPs were selected in the first round to continue bidding for the rights to develop this power station. Those six winners are identified in the table below.[6]
| Rank | IPP/Developer | Domicile | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scatec Solar | Norway | [6] |
| 2 | Elsewedy Electric | Egypt | [6] |
| 3 | Infinity Power Holding | Egypt | [6] |
| 4 | GreenYellow | France | [6] |
| 5 | Voltalia | France | [6] |
| 6 | Nareva Holding | Morocco | [6] |
The construction costs were estimated at US$70 million in 2020.Two institutions have pledged financial support. TheFrench Development Agency (AFD) has agreed to lend €23.5 million and theEuropean Union has promised to lend €5 million towards this development.[2]
In July 2023, it was reported that theengineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor on the first phase of the project was aconsortium comprising French companiesSogemcom andAkuo Energy. The solar farm is expected to reach commercial commissioning in August 2023.[7][8]
