NIAMEY, Aug. 21– The government of Niger on Thursday signed a public-private partnership agreement with Niger Electricity Power Production (NEPP), worth 126.1 billion CFA francs (about 225 million U.S. dollars), for the construction of a 200 MWc photovoltaic solar power plant equipped with a battery storage system, the Niger Press Agency reported.
The agreement was signed by Nigerien Minister of Energy Amadou Haoua and Adamou Amadou Daouda, chief executive officer of NEPP, under the chairmanship of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Nigeriens Abroad Bakary Yaou Sangare.
The project will be completed within 24 months, including additional studies. The 20-year agreement, based on a Build-Operate-Transfer model, provides for the sale of electricity generated by the plant to the Nigerien Electricity Company at a tariff of 35 CFA francs per kWh, before the plant is transferred to the Nigerien state.
According to Sangare, the plant is expected to help reduce Niger’s dependence on electricity imports and improve energy availability for households, public services and industries.
The project is also expected to create about 1,300 direct and indirect jobs. Daouda said the combination of solar power generation and battery storage would help improve the availability, stability and flexibility of the electricity produced. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
