Construction of a utility-scale solar-plus-storage project is now underway in northern Togo.

The 25 MW Dapong solar project will include 36,000 solar panels across 52 hectares, along with 36 MWh of battery energy storage. It is expected to serve about 145,000 people in the city of Dapaong.

China’s TBEA International Engineering is handling the project’s design, supply, and assembly. Work is scheduled for completion within 13 months.

The World Bank has committed about CFA 40 billion ($69.3 million) to the project, which forms part of the Regional Emergency Solar Power Intervention Project (RESPITE).

At a groundbreaking ceremony last week, Mawusi Kakatsi, a representative of Togo’s Ministry of Mines and Energy Resources, said the project “is at the crossroads of economic ambitions, energy sovereignty and sustainable development.”

Togo aims to raise the share of renewables in its installed energy capacity to 50% by 2025 and achieve universal electricity access by 2030.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Togo’s cumulative solar capacity stood at 67 MW at the end of 2024.