AFRICAN DEVELOPMENT AFRICA

Solar Revolution: Sahel Nations Install 3GW of Utility Solar in Record Time

Sahel Solar Revolution

The Desert to Power initiative, co-ordinated by the African Development Bank, reached a landmark 3 gigawatt milestone as the final phase of the Mali-Niger-Burkina Faso Solar Corridor came online, providing first-time electricity access to 6.2 million people.

The installations were constructed by a consortium led by AMEA Power and TotalEnergies in partnership with state utilities, using a blended finance model combining AfDB debt, IFC equity, and concessional climate finance from the Green Climate Fund.

Average tariffs for newly connected households are set at $0.09/kWh — well below the $0.42/kWh average cost of diesel generation that previously powered the region's off-grid communities.

This article was reported by the AfriDevMonitor editorial team. Additional reporting contributed by our correspondents in Addis Ababa, Nairobi, Lagos, Johannesburg, and Cairo.