A 200MW thermal power plant has been developed in Burkina Faso. Dubai-based industrial group Mark Cables made the announcement and said the plant was delivered in just six months, underscoring a rapid rollout aimed at easing the country’s chronic electricity shortages.
The project valued at approximately US $213M will play a key role in stabilising the national grid, reducing reliance on imported power and supporting government efforts to close the country’s electricity deficit. Burkina Faso is among Africa’s least electrified countries, with only about 22% of the population having access to electricity, according to World Bank data. For years, the country has relied heavily on power imports from neighbouring coastal states, particularly Côte d’Ivoire and Ghana, which previously supplied close to 40% of national electricity demand.
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Alongside thermal generation, Burkina Faso is also expanding its renewable energy portfolio. In August, the country secured US $21M in financing for an 18 MWp solar power plant in Dédougou. The project includes US $13M in debt financing from Dutch development bank FMO through its Building Prospects Fund, as well as a US $7M concessional facility from the African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA).
The government is also exploring longer-term energy options. In March, Burkina Faso held talks with Russia’s state-owned nuclear company Rosatom regarding a potential nuclear power project, while more recent discussions have focused on possible cooperation in renewable energy development. Together, these initiatives reflect Burkina Faso’s broader strategy to diversify energy sources, improve electricity access, and reduce dependence on costly and carbon-intensive imports.
