Japanese Toyota Tsusho Corporation has secured a contract from the Beninese Electricity Production Company, under the Ministry of Energy and Water, for the construction of a 25 MW solar power plant in the Pobe region of the Republic of Benin.
This project is the first large-scale renewable energy power plant construction project in West Africa by a Japanese company. It may be noted that Toyota Tsusho has been involved in expanding renewable energy generation in Africa, including the completion of a geothermal power plant that is the largest power provider in Kenya (total of 280 MW) in 2015 and the start of commercial operation of a wind power project in Egypt (total of 262 MW) in 2019.
Benin established a national plan to develop renewable energy power, mainly solar photovoltaic power, in order to overcome these challenges. It is aiming to install a total of 150 MW of solar power generation facilities by 2026.
After conducting project development study with support by the Benin government, Toyota Tsusho will be building 25 MW solar power plant, one of the largest in Benin, in the Pobé region together with RMT, a German EPC (Engineering Procurement and Construction) company; a subsidiary of the EIFFAGE Group. Construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2024.
The construction of this large-scale solar power plant will be promoted as a Japanese public-private partnership project that is a stable source of electricity at a lower cost.
“Toyota Tsusho will contribute to the realization of a decarbonised society as well as green economic growth in Africa through the creation and utilization of new renewable energy sources in order to pass on a better global environment to the children of the future,” said the firm.
