Madagascar is to be equipped with new photovoltaic solar power plants. This is the objective of the Madagascan Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons, which has just launched two invitations to tender for the construction of two solar photovoltaic power plants. The larger plant, with a capacity of 200 MW, will be located at Ihazolava in the rural council of Ambohipihaonana, in the south-eastern part of the Vakinankaratra region.

The second tender is for the construction of a 10 MWp solar photovoltaic power plant near Mahajanga, a port city on Madagascar’s north-west coast and capital of the Boeny region. For both calls for tender, the Madagascan Ministry of Energy and Hydrocarbons is emphasising “financial capacity and successful experience in raising finance”. Interested companies have until 9 August 2023 to apply.

The Madagascan government intends to use this new energy infrastructure to speed up electrification and increase the island’s installed capacity. Madagascar has an installed capacity of 969 MW, 78% of which is generated from fossil fuels. In recent years, however, the country has built a number of solar power plants, including the 40 MWp Ambatolampy plant, built as part of a partnership between the French independent power producer (IPP) GreenYellow and the Madagascan group Axian. To date, Madagascar produces 2% of its electricity from photovoltaic solar energy.

At the same time, Madagascar remains one of the worst performers on the African continent when it comes to access to electricity, with 75% of the population lacking this essential service. Households connected to the national grid have to cope with load shedding, which hampers economic activity. The Malagasy government intends to gradually reduce these power cuts with the commissioning of new renewable energy plants, in particular the Sahokifa hydroelectric scheme, which should have an installed capacity of 205 MW by 2024.

Jean Marie Takouleu