Dubai, United Arab Emirates, based renewable energy group AMEA Power has announced that the groundbreaking ceremony for Phase 3 of its Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed solar power plant, in the Republic of Togo, had taken place, in the presence of Togolese President Faure Gnassingbé. Completion of Phase 3 will make the plant, located at the village of Blitta, the biggest solar power plant in West Africa.

Phase 3 will expand the capacity of the plant from its current 50 MW to 70 MW, and includes the installation of a battery storage system to extend the provision of electricity into the night. Completion of Phase 3 is expected by the end of this year.

(Construction of Phase 1 and Phase 2 were undertaken by AMEA Power during the Covid-19 pandemic and completion of both phases took a total of less than 18 months. Both phases started operating in 2021 and are currently operated and maintained by group subsidiary AMEA Technical Services.)

“The solar plant is providing a project blueprint that AMEA Power is using to deploy renewable energy across other parts of Africa,” reported AMEA chairperson Hussain Al Nowais. “With the integration of battery storage, the plant can extend its power production to provide Togolese communities with clean energy at night. This project would not be possible without the ongoing support of the Togolese government, which continues to demonstrate their commitment to renewable energy and delivering energy access to the people of Togo.”

The Phase 3 project has been financed with a $25-million loan from the Abu Dhabi Exports Office (ADEX) to the Togolese Economy and Finance Ministry. (ADEX also provided debt funding of about $10-million for Phase 2 of the Blitta plant.) Phase 3 is being built by AMEA Technical Services.

When complete, the solar plant will provide power to more than 220 000 Togolese households. The project is supporting the country’s National Development Plan, which seeks to assure that all Togolese have access to electricity by 2030.

AMEA is also providing social support to the Blitta community. This has included the construction of a medical clinic with maternity facilities and the renovation and construction of primary schools. The group has also set up an internship programme for engineering students from various tertiary institutions across Togo, under which they can get practical experience at the solar plant.