Benin inaugurates first large-scale solar photovoltaic power plant

The government of Benin has inaugurated its first large-scale solar photovoltaic power plant. The country’s Minister of Energy Dona Jean-Claude Houssou presided over the ceremony.

The power plant located in the commune of Pobè, Plateau department, has a capacity of 25 MWp. It was built by the French company RMT Eiffage and is equipped with 47,212 solar modules, 113 inverters, six transformer stations of 3,515 kVA each, a computer-assisted automatic control of the power plant, monitoring systems and anti-intrusion security.

The electricity produced, is evacuated via two 20 kilovolt (HTA) lines of 25 MWp each, over a distance of 3 km. The electricity is injected into the network of the Société béninoise d’énergie électrique (SBEE) via the Onigbolo substation.

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Emissions

According to the Beninese government, the dubbed ‘Illoulofin photovoltaic solar power plant’ is capable of supplying 40,000 homes. Overall cost of the project was US $65M and financing was provided by the Beninese government through loans from the European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD).

According to Eiffage, the plant will avoid emissions of 23,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, or 575,000 tonnes over the estimated 25-year life of the facility. The Beninese authorities have launched a second phase that will increase the capacity of the Illoulofin solar photovoltaic plant to 50 MWp. The current project is expected to take three years.

Located on a 25-hectare site, the project is part of the construction of a 25 MWp solar power plant and the modernisation of the information system of the Société béninoise d’énergie électrique (DEFISSOL). Its objective is to contribute to Benin’s economic growth by improving the performance of its electricity operator (SBEE) and the quality of the electricity service provided while respecting the environment.