Cameroon will hold meetings in a couple of weeks to discuss its plans for a 100-MW solar PV project. A source told Alternative Energy Africa that the government hoped to sign an agreement for the construction of the first 60 MW during the meetings.
The project is ambitious particularly since the country only inaugurated its first solar village in June 2010, followed by Cameroon’s first high school to receive a kit of six solar panels costing about $13,899. Nearly 95% of its energy is generated via hydropower, garnering the second highest potential in Africa after the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Questions remain such as the seriousness of such an ambitious project when only small scale solar is presently in Cameroon, taking into account that nearly 80% of residents are without access to the grid. While the West African country is estimated to have greater solar resources than the entire state of California, funding of such a major scheme will be a significant obstacle.
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