Burkina Faso saw the ground-breaking ceremony of the new 15-MWp PV power plant, owned by EREN Renewable Energy (EREN RE) and Africa Energy Management Platform (AEMP) to serve IAMGOLD Essakane SA take place on May 26.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by a plethora of dignitaries from the government and executives from the companies involved.
The solar plant is made of close to 130,000 PV panels and will be added to the existing 55 MW heavy fuel power plant. The combination of the two creates the largest hybrid PV-diesel plant in the world and one of the largest solar facilities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Initiated mid-May, the construction of the 15-MWp PV power plant is set to last eight months.
The solar plant will aid the diesel plant in powering the IAMGOLD Essakane S.A. gold mine.
As highlighted during the ceremony, the positive local impact will be of premium importance to the project sponsors. Permanent jobs will be created on site for the operation and maintenance of the PV plant and a portion of the project’s revenues will be invested in local development initiatives to maximize its impact.