AfrElec: CAR’s second solar photovoltaic power plant inaugurated

The Central African Republic (CAR) has inaugurated a second solar photovoltaic (PV) power station with a capacity of 25 MWp in the village of Danzi, 20 kilometres north of the capital, Bangui.

The plant consists of 47,000 solar panels installed over a 70-hectare site by the Chinese company Shanxi Construction Investment Group, in the commune of Bégoua, Afrik21 reports.

“The construction of the Danzi photovoltaic power station reflects the government’s desire to diversify sources of electricity production, with the emphasis on developing hydroelectric, solar and biomass potential,” said President Faustin Archange Touadera, who inaugurated the station on November 17.

“Recurring electricity problems can be partly explained by the lack of investment over the past 40 years in this sector, which is so vital to the national economy.”

The Danzi plant, which is connected to a 30-MWh electricity storage system, was built as part of the Emergency Project for Access to Electricity (Puracell), funded to the tune of €56mn by the World Bank.

If you would like to read more about the key events shaping the African energy sector, then please click here for NewsBase's AfrElec Monitor.