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The G5 Sahel countries have received new support for solar generation in the Desert to Power scheme promoted by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The AfDB’s stated ambition is for the G5 Sahel countries – Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania, Mali and Niger – to harness their potential to create “the world’s largest solar zone”. The AfDB aims to increase on- and off-grid solar generation capacity by 10GW, to transform the livelihoods of some 250m people across the 11-state Sahel region.

French developer Akuo Energy announced on 19 November the full commissioning of the 50MWp Kita solar PV plant in the Kayes region. The project, described by Akuo as “the largest operational solar park in West Africa”, has been developed under a 30-year build, own, operate and transfer concession with a 28-year power purchase agreement with Energie du Mali.  

Four 80kW solar PV-diesel mini-grids in Beleko Soba, Fakola, Dogoni and Diena will be commissioned within months after building work was completed, the Netherlands’ Foundation Rural Energy Services (FRES) told African Energy. The projects are waiting for the end of travel restrictions so specialist teams can commission the plants. Beleko Soba and Fakola are being developed by Solar23 and Dogoni and Diena by JGH.

The Senegal River Basin Development Organisation (OMVS) has given China Machinery Engineering Corporation a contract worth $276m to develop and finance the Gourbassi hydroelectric dam on the Falémé River, on the Senegal-Mali border. An engineering, procurement, construction and financing contract was signed on 26 June, according to an OMVS statement.

A consortium of Turkish construction and engineering groups Ozgun and Ozdemir has won an international tender held by the Taoussa Development Authority on behalf of the Ministry of Energy and Water for the construction of the Taoussa dam and an associated 25MW hydropower plant on the Niger River in north-eastern Mali. The consortium submitted a winning bid of $172.5m, comprising $152.8m for the civil works and $19.7m for the supply and installation of the electro-mechanical equipment, according to a ministry announcement on 25 June.

Energie du Mali has invited bids by 15 July for the design, supply, installation and commissioning of the 7.5MW Djenné mini- hydropower plant in the central-southern region of Mopti.The project is to be installed at an existing irrigation dam in the town of Djenné, which is located on an island between two arms of the Bani River, a tributary of the Niger. It is designed to supply 5,200 households through the generation of 17.75GWh/yr, and to save an estimated 11,900 t/yr of CO2 compared to diesel-fired gensets.

Energie du Mali (EDM) has invited expressions of interest from consultants by 14 May to carry out technical, economic, financial, environmental and social feasibility studies as well as elaboration of tender documents for the construction of two solar PV power plants in Kambila and Safo totalling 90MWp. The consultancy services are to be financed from French Development Agency (AFD) funding for construction of the northern section of the 225kV loop around Bamako.

UK-based clean power developer PASH Global, majority-owned by Dutch commodity trader Trafigura, announced on 15 January the acquisition of a 49.9% stake in the 50MW Kita solar PV park in western Mali. The project, in the town of Kita, 180km west of Bamako, is being developed by French green power producer Akuo Energy under a 30-year build-own-operate-transfer concession with a 28-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Energie du Mali (EdM), according to the London-based impact investor.

Rehabilitation of three 11.9 MW units at the 47.6 MW Selingue hydropower dam on the Sankarani River is expected to start in February 2020. The work is being financed by the West African Development Bank (BOAD) with up to CFA25bn ($42.5m). An engineer from the Ingerop/Artelia consortium contracted by the BOAD to oversee the works told African Energy the first tests on the Voith Kaplan turbines (G1, G2 and G3) should start in February and work on handling equipment and overhead cranes should start by end-March.

Wärtsilä has been awarded a contract to design and engineer a 17MW/15MWh energy storage system for B2Gold’s Fekola mine. Germany’s Suntrace GmbH and BayWa r.e. GmbH completed a preliminary study this year and are providing technical support to the project, which is due for completion in August 2020.

Australian gold miner Resolute Mining has signed a heads of terms agreement with Aggreko for the development of a 60MW hybrid solar PV and thermal modular power station to supply the company’s Syama Gold Mine in southern Mali. Aggreko will fund and operate the plant, which will combine solar, battery and thermal technologies, Resolute announced on 25 November. Work will start this year and, once fully operational, the new plant is expected to reduce the gold mine’s power supply costs by approximately 40%, while reducing carbon emissions by around 20%, it added.

Mali’s rural electrification agency, Agence Malienne pour le Développement de l’Energie Domestique et l’Électrification Rurale, has extended bidding to 29 November for the construction of two solar PV plants at Saye and Sarro in the Ségou region. Each of the plants is expected to have a unitary power of 1.3MWp with a vanadium redox battery energy storage system of 1.5MW-2MWh.

Construction is due to start by year-end on a $38m project to add a solar PV-battery system to the existing power plant at B2Gold Corporation’s Fekola gold mine. Germany’s Suntrace GmbH and BayWa r.e. GmbH completed a preliminary study earlier this year and are providing technical support to the project, which is due for completion in August 2020.

The European Commission’s ACP-EU Partnership is financing the development of four 80kWp solar photovoltaic (PV)-diesel mini-grids in Mali. Under the programme, tendering is now under way for the supply, delivery and commissioning of four plants in Beleko Soba, Fakola, Dogoni and Diena. Bidding will be in two lots – Beleko Soba and Fakola in lot 1 and Dogoni and Diena in lot 2 – and is being run by the Netherlands’ Foundation Rural Energy Services (FRES).