The second phase works of the Illoulofin photovoltaic solar power plant in Benin is set to begin. This is after Toyota Tsusho, a Japanese company, inked a public-private partnership (PPP) agreement with Société béninoise de production d’électricité (SBPE) over the project development.
The project is situated in the Pobè region of southeast Benin. Works on the first phase involving installation of 47,212 solar modules, 113 inverters, six 3,515 kVA transformer substations, computer-assisted automatic control systems, and security measures was completed last year in July.
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Illoulofin solar power plant
The phase with a capacity of 25MWp, required an investment of US $65M which was financed by the State of Benin, with support from the European Union (EU) and the French Development Agency (AFD).
The second phase of the Illoulofin solar power plant is also planned to have a capacity of 25 MW. It is expected to become operational in 2024. Toyota Tsusho’s involvement in the solar power plant project marks its expansion in sub-Saharan Africa. This project is described as the first large-scale renewable energy plant construction project in West Africa by a Japanese company. The company is also engaged in renewable energy projects in other African countries, such as Egypt and Kenya.
Apart from the Illoulofin solar power plant, Toyota Tsusho is engaged in various energy-related projects in Africa. These include building a wind farm in Egypt in collaboration with Engie and Orascom Construction, constructing a geothermal power station in Kenya, and investing in seawater desalination in Senegal.
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