Burkina Faso launches Africa Minigrids Program for rural electrification

Burkina Faso has launched the Africa Minigrids Program (AMP) for rural electrification through access to solar energy.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries (MEMC) of Burkina Faso, and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), performed the launch ceremony for the program which aims to increase access to clean energy by promoting large-scale commercial investment in solar photovoltaic mini-grids in the West African nation.

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Africa Minigrids Program

AMP will, in particular, focus on enabling innovation and technology transfers in decentralized renewable energy distribution and storage solutions. The project will also support the government’s COVID-19 recovery efforts and strengthen the resilience of vulnerable communities by supporting livelihoods and providing income-generating activities.

The project will be implemented in seven municipalities across the following seven regions: the Cascades, the Boucle du Mouhoun, the Center, the Center-North, the Center-East, the North and the Central Plateau.

It is expected to significantly contribute to accelerating the country’s rural electrification efforts. Burkina Faso’s rural electrification rate has already been rapidly increasing, going from 3.2% in 2016 to nearly 10% in 2019, through the extension of the national grid. However, because extending the grid is a costly electrification method, the overall rural electrification rate has remained low.

The AMP project is being implemented by the Agence Burkinabè de l’Electrification Rurale (ABER), the country’s rural electrification agency. The UNDP-led program will run in the country till January 2027 for a total cost of US $1.75M which will be funded by UNDP, GEF, and the Government of Burkina Faso.