Construction has begun on a 1 GW solar-power project near Kinshasa in the DRC.

In a move to significantly improve access to power for the capital city’s 14 million-strong population, the first of the two-phase Kinshasa Solar City project has been launched, as reported by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis.

Based on a build-own-operate-transfer PPP model, the solar project is based in Menkao, a rural district some 74 km from Kinshasa, and will comprise several solar PV plants. Phase 1 is expected to result in a combined capacity of 600 MW.

The project is being developed by Sun Plus, a subsidiary of the US-based Sandi Group, with which the DRC’s National Electricity Company (Snel) has entered into a 25-year power purchase agreement.

On completion of the plants, Snel will purchase 100% of the power generated at a set rate of US$0.095 per kWh for the first two years, after which the cost will increase yearly based on the US CPI.

According to Sun Plus, Phase 1 will be complete within one year.

1 September 2020
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