Burkina Faso has commissioned the Zina solar power plant. The solar facility is located 185 km from the capital city Ouagadougou, in the village of Zina in the Mouhoun Province.
The 26.6 MWp development is part of a public-private partnership (PPP) between Amea Power and the Burkina Faso government. It was constructed by the Emirati Company Amea Power, with an aim of boosting the country’s renewable energy landscape.
The 70-hectare solar park is expected to supply electricity to more than 43,000 people and offset 13,200 tonnes of CO2 annually. This project was made possible through the financial support of the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), which is the private sector arm of the World Bank Group. The IFC-Canada Climate Change Program (IFCCCP) also contributed to the financial closure of the project in 2022.
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Power purchase agreement
The Zina solar power plant is connected to the grid of Burkina Faso’s National Electricity Company (SONABEL) under a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA). The project is managed by the special-purpose company Zina Solaire S.A., which is part of Amea Power.
Amea Power’s involvement in Burkina Faso’s renewable energy sector places it alongside other independent power producers (IPPs) with operational solar power plants in the country. These include Madagascar’s Axian Group, which recently acquired the Nagréongo solar farm (30 MWp) from French IPP GreenYellow, and the French company Africa Ren, which operates a 38 MWp photovoltaic facility in Kodéni, near Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso’s second largest city.
With the addition of the Zina plant, Burkina Faso’s installed solar capacity now totals 182.6 MWp, showcasing the country’s ongoing commitment to expanding its renewable energy infrastructure and reducing its carbon footprint.