The US Trade and Development Agency has awarded a grant to Gigawatt Global Burundi for a study into a planned 7.5-megawatt solar photovoltaic power plant in Mubuga, Burundi.
The feasibility study will address key technical and economic aspects of the solar project, conduct environmental and social impact assessments, and provide the necessary analysis for the developers to secure financing.
The USTDA said only four percent of Burundi’s population has residential access to electricity. The project would increase the country’s installed electricity generation capacity by an estimated 15%, helping to power over 60,000 households and businesses. The plant would be the first utility-scale solar energy generation facility in Burundi.
Gigawatt Global said that together with another grant from the Energy and Environment Partnership a coalition representing the British, Finnish, and Austrian governments, it will receive US$1 million for the project.
The Burundi government has signed an agreement with Gigawatt Global for the development of the US$ 20 million project, to be located on field on a 15-hectare site in the Gitega region, 65 miles from the capital of Bujumbura. The facility will produce electricity needed for 60,000 households.
