Pâ Solar Power Station

Solar farm in Burkina Faso

11°33′52″N 03°15′38″W / 11.56444°N 3.26056°W / 11.56444; -3.26056StatusOperationalConstruction began1 February 2020Commission dateDecember 2023Construction cost€35.4 millionOwner(s)Pâ Solar ConsortiumOperator(s)Pâ Solar ConsortiumSolar farm TypeFlat-panel PVSite area35 hectares (86 acres)Power generation Units planned25,000Nameplate capacity30 megawatts (40,000 hp)

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Pâ Solar Power Station, is a 30 megawatts (40,000 hp) solar power plant in Burkina Faso.^[1] The power station was commercially commissioned in December 2023.^[2]

Location

The power station is located in the Pâ Department of Balé Province, near the town of Pâ, in southwestern Burkina Faso. Pâ is approximately 44 kilometres (27 mi), by road, southwest of the town of Boromo, the provincial headquarters.^[3] This is about 222 kilometres (138 mi) by road southwest of Ouagadougou, the capital and largest city of Burkina Faso.^[4]

Overview

The power station has a capacity of 30 megawatts, which is sold directly to Société Nationale d'électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL), the electric utility company of Burkina Faso, for integration in the national electricity grid. The developers of the power station have signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with SONABEL. After twenty-five years, ownership of the power station will revert to the Government of Burkina Faso.^[5]^[6]

The power station sits on 35 hectares (86 acres) of land, and comprises 25,000 solar panels. The energy generated is sufficient to supply 150,000 customers.^[5]^[6]

Developers

The power station was developed by a consortium comprising Urbasolar, a French independent power producer, and Projet Production Solaire (PPS), a Burkinabe company, with minority shareholding in the special vehicle company that will own and develop the power station. For descriptive purposes, let us call that company Pâ Solar Consortium. Urbasolar is a subsidiary of Axpo Holding, a publicly traded Swiss energy conglomerate.^[6]

Costs and funding

The cost of construction was budgeted at €35.4 million. The Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF), a member of the Private Infrastructure Development Group (PIDG), agreed to lend €29 million towards this project. Urbasolar was expected to provide the remaining €6.4 million in funding. The table below illustrates the sources of funding for this power station.^[7]

Pâ Solar Power Station Funding
Rank	Funder	Classification	Amount € (millions)	Percentage
1	Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF)	Loan	29.0	81.92
2	Urbasolar	Investment	6.4	18.08
	Total		35.4	100.00

References

^ Veselina Petrova (5 February 2020). "Urbasolar breaks ground on 30-MW PV project in Burkina Faso". Renewablesnow.com. Sofia, Bulgaria. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
^ Benoit-Ivan Wansi (5 January 2024). "Burkina Faso: 2 solar photovoltaic power plants (68 MWp) inaugurated in Kodéni and Pâ". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
^ Google (26 April 2021). "Road Distance Between Baromo, Burkina Faso And Pâ, Burkina Faso" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
^ Google (26 April 2021). "Road Distance Between Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso And Pâ, Burkina Faso" (Map). Google Maps. Google. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b Boris Ngounou (4 February 2021). "Burkina Faso: Urbasolar is building a 33 MW solar power plant in Pâ". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 26 April 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Patick Mulyungi (19 March 2021). "Pâ solar power plant project in Burkina Faso to receive US$ 34M+ boost". Construction Review Online. Nairobi, Kenya. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
^ Jean Marie Takouleu (17 March 2021). "Burkina Faso: EAIF lends €29m for the Pâ solar PV plant (30 MWp)". Paris, France: Arik21.africa. Retrieved 26 April 2021.