The Ivory Coast’s Ministry of Mines, Oil, and Energy has unveiled plans to build 12 solar plants with a total capacity of 678 MW.

Mamadou Sangafowa Coulibaly, the Ivory Coast’s Minister of Mines, Oil and Energy, has announced plans to install 678 MW of solar capacity by 2030 and 1,686 MW by 2040.

According to the government’s website, there are plans for 12 new solar plants with a combined capacity of 628 MWp.

Two of the projects – a 52 MWp installation and a 50 MWp array in the cities of Ferkessédougou and Bondoukou – are scheduled for completion next year.

Another three solar plants – located in Korhogo, M'bengué and Katiola, with capacities of 116 MWp, 50 MWp and 50 MWp, respectively – have been given scheduled dates of 2026.

Coulibaly also noted plans for another seven plants: 50 MWp in Tengréla, 50 MWp in Kong, 25 MWp in Sérébou, 60 MWp in Touba and Loboa, 50 MWp in Odienné, 50 MWp in Mankono and 25 MWp in Soubré.

The country’s first solar plant, a 37.5 MW facility in Boundiali in the northern part of the country, was inaugurated last week. Work began on the second phase of the project at the same time, which will take the site’s capacity to 80 MW. Construction will also soon begin on a 52 MW plant in the village of Sokhoro.

The Ivory Coast aims to increase the share of renewables in its energy mix to 45% by 2030. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the nation had 46 MW of installed solar by the end of 2023.