After three years of development, the Sakai solar photovoltaic power plant in the Central African Republic (CAR) has commenced its operation. The solar power station, located in Bimbo town near the capital city of Bangui, is the result of a partnership between the African country and China.
The Chinese government funded the solar power project, while the construction was undertaken by Tianjin Electric Power Construction (TEPC) Co. Ltd, a Chinese company. The 15 MW power plant comprises of 33,432 solar panels, constructed on a 16-hectare land. Currently, Enerca, the primary energy utility company of the Central African Republic, owns and operates the solar power plant.
The solar farm marks the first large-scale solar PV plant that has been commissioned successfully in the country. The solar farm is now powering factories, schools, and households in Bangui, and it is expected to offset around 30% of Bangui's total electricity demand.
Arthur Bertran Piri, the Minister for Energy Development and Water Resources, stated that the infrastructure would improve the overall electricity supply in Bangui, particularly in the industrial sector. The government hopes that this solar plant will help to reduce the regular power outages that have become a common situation in the country, sometimes lasting 16 hours a day.
For a long time, the energy situation in the Central African Republic has been turbulent due to the slow development of infrastructure, resulting in a shortage of power supply that has been plaguing the local population. The electrification rate of the country is approximately 15.5%, with less than 2.3% of the population in rural areas having access to electricity.
Although the Central African Republic has significant solar potential with an average solar irradiance of 5 KWh/m2 per day, this clean energy resource remains underdeveloped. According to the World Bank's data, the country's 2015-2030 Investment Project, which includes four hydroelectric schemes and the rehabilitation of the Boali II hydropower station, the main hydroelectric plant of the country, will help to address this issue.
“This solar plant marks a significant milestone in our efforts to address the electricity shortages and power outages that have impacted our country for far too long,” said Minister Piri. “We are grateful to China for their contribution towards our efforts to develop our energy infrastructure, and we hope that this partnership will continue to grow and flourish in the years to come.”
