What is the solar PV project in Burundi?

The solar PV project in Burundi is a 7.5 MW plant located in Mubuga. Interconnection is expected in Q3 2020, which will increase Burundi's installed electricity capacity by 14%.

Does Burundi have solar power?

Burundi has natural conditions favourable to the sustainable use of water and solar energy or wind power. The solar potential of Burundi is very interesting. The average annual power received is around 2000 kWh / m² per year, equivalent to the best European regions (southern Mediterranean).

What does Burundi's solar plant announcement mean for the energy sector?

According to Geoff Sinclair, Managing Director of Camco Clean Energy, which manages REPP: "Once built, the solar plant will add nearly 15% to Burundi’s generation capacity using clean energy." (This passage directly answers the question about the impact on the energy sector.)

Where is a solar power station located in Burundi?

The power station is located in the settlement of Mubuga, in the Gitega Province of Burundi, approximately 15.2 kilometres (9 mi), northeast of the city of Gitega, the political capital of that country. This power station is the first grid-connected solar project developed by an IPP in Burundi.

How much energy does Burundi use per year?

of electric energy per year. Per capita this is an average of 34 kWh. Burundi can partly be self-sufficient with domestically produced energy. The total production of all electric energy producing facilities is 357 m kWh. That is 81 percent of the country's own usage. The rest of the needed energy is imported from foreign countries.

How many people were hired to operate Burundi's solar power station?

Another estimated 25-50 people were hired to operate the power station. In May 2023, Evariste Ndayishimiye, the president of Burundi toured the solar farm and personally gave his approval for the power station's capacity to be expanded to 15 megawatts.