Renewable Energy: Minister Sangafowa-Coulibaly Lays the First Stone for a 52 Megawatt Photovoltaic Solar Plant

On Sunday, February 2, 2025, the Minister of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy, Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly, laid the first stone for a photovoltaic solar power plant in Ferkessédougou, the capital of the Tchologo region. The ceremony was attended by several administrative, political, and customary authorities from the region.

With a capacity of 52.42 Megawatts, this solar plant will be the second of its kind after the one in Boundiali, the capital of the Bagoué region, which was commissioned on April 3, 2024.

The new solar photovoltaic power plant, named "Ferké Solar," will be built along the Ferkessédougou-Tafiré axis, near the village of Sokhoro 2, about 5 km from Ferkessédougou. The project, which will cost 41 billion CFA francs, is being carried out by the Ivorian company PFO Énergies. The construction work is expected to take 12 months.

During the ceremony, the minister emphasized that the project is being entirely funded and executed by a national private investor. It will help Côte d'Ivoire increase its renewable energy share and fulfill its commitment to achieve 45% renewable energy capacity by 2030, up from the current 31%. By 2030, Côte d'Ivoire aims to have nearly 600 Megawatts of solar energy, representing 9% of its total renewable energy production. Combined with other clean energy sources, this will help the country reach its 45% target.

After Ferkessédougou, additional photovoltaic solar power plants will be built in various regions of the country. The minister mentioned other locations such as Bondoukou, Korhogo, M'Bengué, Katiola, Tengrela, Kong, Touba, Sérébou, Soubré, Odienné, and Mankono.

Clyde Fakhoury, the General Administrator of the PFO Africa Group, stated that the Ferké Solar plant will be constructed over 70 hectares of land, with 70,000 solar panels installed. He also noted that by the end of 2025, the plant will produce nearly 90 gigawatt-hours of clean energy annually, which will supply power to over 370,000 households in the Tchologo region.

He further highlighted that this project will create over 600 local jobs during the construction phase and will serve as a driver for numerous community development initiatives to sustainably support progress in the region.