Ivory Coast joins the hybrid solar bandwagon

From the newsletter

Across Africa, hybrid solar projects are emerging as a major trend. This week, Ivory Coast joined countries like Somalia and Togo in piloting such initiatives, launching an international tender for two 100 MW solar plants, each with 33 MWh of battery storage. Successful independent power producers will supply electricity to the national utility company.

• The government plans to construct 12 solar plants with a total capacity of 678 MW by 2030. Though still far from this goal, progress is being witnessed in investments, with the construction of two major utility solar projects kicking off since the start of 2025.

• Integrating solar into the grid comes with intermittency issues. For grid stability, the government is combining some solar projects with battery storage and also pursuing waste-to-energy plants for baseload power.

More details

• Bids for these projects are due by 25 July 2025 and can be accessed here.

• As of 2024, Ivory Coast had an installed electricity capacity of 2,907 MW, with 69% coming from thermal sources and the rest from renewables; solar accounted for less than 2%. The country aims to increase this capacity to 5,200 MW by 2030 and 8,600 MW by 2040. Renewables, particularly solar and hydropower, will account for a larger share of new installations. 

• Since 2011, Ivory Coast has dramatically expanded its transmission and distribution networks. This expansion has led to a rise in electricity access from 62% in 2013 to 79% in 2024, with urban areas enjoying 94% access. However, affordability remains a significant challenge for households, as approximately 36% of Ivorians cannot afford the installation of an electricity meter.

• The government opened up private sector involvement in the energy sector in 2014, and since then, about $1.63 billion in private investment has been mobilised. The country, which is also part of Mission 300, a World Bank-led initiative, plans to achieve a 100% electrification rate by 2030. The private sector is expected to play a key role in achieving these targets, with the government targeting about $2 billion in private investment.

• The need for additional investment is fuelled by both rising domestic demand and increasing electricity exports to neighbouring countries. Ivory Coast is currently Africa’s third-largest electricity exporter after Ethiopia and Egypt, supplying power to Ghana, Burkina Faso, Benin, Togo and Mali. There are plans to further extend its reach to Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone.

• The government is pursuing Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), viewing them as central to the development strategy for future electricity production capacity. As part of this strategic push, projects such as the 50 MW Ferké Solar Plant, the 50 MW Bondoukou Solar Project and biomass facilities like the 76 MW plant in Divo are underway.

• Across other African countries, hybrid solar projects are gaining momentum as prices drop. Chad, Somalia, Togo, and Senegal are joining the race with recent project announcements. Leading players like Morocco, Egypt, and South Africa are moving to gigascale projects, having piloted small-scale projects before.

Our take

• Prices for solar and lithium-ion batteries are expected to keep declining as technology matures and large-scale production brings economies of scale. This could lead to the proliferation of hybrid solar projects in Africa.

• However, this can sometimes be challenging for countries relying on technology imports. Currency fluctuations occasionally deny local companies the benefit of price declines, making the products less competitive with fossil fuels.

• Ivory Coast needs to focus on upgrading its grid infrastructure for electricity exports, which are mainly AC. Converting to DC high voltage would reduce losses and maximise sales and reliability. This approach could generate more revenue needed for grid infrastructure expansion.