Access to energy in the Sahel: 5 AFD actions

The Sahel Alliance’s conference, “Access to Energy in the Sahel”, is being hosted this week by Agence française de développement and the World Bank in partnership with the EU’s ARE SCALE UP facility.

AFD conducts emblematic projects in each of the G5 Sahel countries.

Burkina Faso

In Burkina Faso, AFD is working with national operator SONABEL by subsidizing residents’ connection to the electrical grid.

Thanks to a €3-million grant by AFD, SONABEL is now able to offer connections at a discounted price, with prices subsidized by as much as 80% of the initial cost of connection.

Mali

In Mali, AFD is acting to convert thermal power plants to hybrid production (solar power combined with thermal power) and expand the mini-grids connected to them.

Financed by the European Union (€18 M), AFD (€20 M) and the Malian government (€1 M), it aims to support economic development and improve the well-being of populations living in Mali’s rural regions.

The project’s overarching objective is to provide a reliable, affordable, permanent supply of electricity to some 156,000 people located in isolated, rural villages in Mali. In so doing, it promotes the growth of economic activity, improves infrastructure, and enhances living conditions.

Mauritania

In Mauritania, AFD is supporting the electrification of 3 of the country’s 13 wilaya (regions), through mini-grids set up as part of the new law on public-private partnerships.

This project aims to broaden access to energy in three of the country’s provinces that border Mali, which are isolated from the national grid. This entails a new model of public service distribution and electrification via mini-grids. These grids have batteries and are 95% powered by solar power, with only 5% coming from thermal power.

The project, financed by the European Union and AFD via a €11.6-million grant, will ultimately provide reliable, affordable electrical service to some 3,100 households—approximately 18,600 people—in about 30 villages.

Niger

In Niger, AFD and the European Union provide access to electricity for 60,000 households by expanding the grid.

The lack of electricity is one of the biggest constraints on growth in Niger. Improving access to reliable, high-quality electricity is therefore a national priority to promote economic growth and reduce social inequalities in Niger.

The project is co-financed by AFD (€30 million) and the European Union (€11 million). It will provide access to electricity for 315,000 people in Niamey and 114,100 people in rural villages, thereby improving their living conditions.

Chad

In Chad, AFD is supporting the Société Nationale d’Electricité (SNE) in its efforts to improve its operating performance.

The aim is to improve its operating performance by offering support specifically to develop the skills of its agents, restore its financial balance, reinforce its electrical transmission grid, and improve its framework of governance.

This €1-million emergency support program, which is currently being launched, aims at implementing a series of very short-term actions, working in parallel with SNE to develop and put into effect a structural support program with a budget of approximately €5 million over several years.

Original source: AFD
Published on 08 October 2019