Zina Solar Power Station

The Zina Solar Power Station is a 26.6 megawatts solar power plant in Burkina Faso. The power station is owned and was developed by a consortium comprising Amea Power, an independent power producer (IPP), based in the United Arab Emirates and Windiga Energy, an IPP based in Canada. The energy off-taker for this solar farm is Société Nationale d'électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL), the Burkinabe national electricity utility company. A 25-year power purchase agreement, governs the terms of the sale of electricity to SONABEL. Financial close for the power station was reached in May 2022.[1][2]

Zina Solar Power Station
Map
CountryBurkina Faso
LocationZina, Boucle du Mouhoun Region
Coordinates12°12′40″N 02°50′07″W / 12.21111°N 2.83528°W / 12.21111; -2.83528
StatusOperational
Construction began2022
Commission dateMay 2024
Construction costUS$42.5 million
OwnerZina Solaire
OperatorZina Solaire
Solar farm
TypeFlat-panel PV
Site area70 hectares (170 acres)
Power generation
Units operational85,200
Nameplate capacity26.6 MW (35,700 hp)
Annual net output33 GWh

Location

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The power station occupies a piece of real estate measuring 70 hectares (170 acres). The solar park is located in the village of Zina, in the Boucle du Mouhoun Region of Burkina Faso, approximately 185 kilometres (115 mi) from Ouagadougou, the country's capital city.[2][3]

Overview

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The power station's generation capacity is 26.6 megawatts. Its output is sold directly to the government of Burkina Faso for integration into the national electricity grid, under a 25-year power purchase agreement. The solar park is operated and maintained by Zina Solaire, the special purpose vehicle company (SPV), created by the station developers, to design, fund, build, own, operate and maintain this power station, for the duration of the PPA. It is expected that the power station will provide electricity to 43,000 residents, and will prevent the emission of 13,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide every year.[1][2]

Developers

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The power station developers formed an ad hoc company to develop, own and operate this power station. They named the ad hoc company Zina Solaire. The ownership of the ad hoc company is as illustrated in the table below.[1][4]

Shareholding In Zina Solaire
Rank Shareholder Domicile Percentage Notes
1 Amea Power United Arab Emirates 90.0 [1][4]
2 Windiga Energy Canada 10.0 [1][4]
Total 100.0

Funding and timeline

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The table below outlines the sources of funding for the construction of this power station.[2]

Sources of Funds For Construction of Zina Solar Power Station
Rank Funding Source Domicile Notes
1 International Finance Corporation United States [2]
2 IFC–Canada Climate Change Program North America [2]
3 Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund (EAIF) United Kingdom [2]
4 Zina Solaire Burkina Faso [1][2]
Total 42.5 Million [3]

Construction began in May 2022. Commercial commissioning was expected in 2023.[1][3] The completed power station came online in May 2024.[5]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Jean Marie Takouleu (11 May 2022). "Burkina Faso: Amea Power closes financing for its Zina solar power plant". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Julianne Tolentino (11 May 2022). "AMEA Power reaches financial close on 26.6MW solar power plant, Burkina Faso". Construction Week Online. Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c Carmen (8 February 2022). "Zina Solar PV Park, Burkina Faso". Power-Technology.com. New York City. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  4. ^ a b c Africa Intelligence (7 December 2021). "AMEA and Sinohydro bring forgotten Zina solar plant back to life". AfricaIntelligence.com. Paris, France. Retrieved 14 May 2022.
  5. ^ Jean Marie Takouleu (28 May 2024). "Burkina Faso gets a new photovoltaic solar power plant in Zina". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
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