Savannah receives approval for Niger’s first 250 MW wind power plant

Savannah Energy has signed an agreement with the government of the Republic of Niger for a 250 MW wind farm, which will be the first in the African country.

Savannah Energy signed an agreement with the Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies of the Republic of Niger for the construction and operation of Parc Eolien de la Tarka.

It will be built on the basis of an Independent Power Producer (IPP) in the Tahoua region of southern Niger.

The project is expected to be sanctioned in 2023, with first power generation in 2025.

Parc Eolien de la Tarka is expected to be owned by a Savannah subsidiary, Savannah Parc Eolien de la Tarka (SPET).

The wind farm will house up to 60 wind turbines.

In the initial phase of the project, SPET will carry out a 24-month feasibility study that will include an assessment to confirm wind conditions and an assessment of how the power generated would be incorporated into national and regional power grids.

The project is expected to take advantage of the development of the West African Power Pool (WAPP), a high-voltage interconnection network that allows energy exchanges between the countries of the region and greater stability of the network.

Niger is scheduled to connect to the WAPP in 2023 through a 330 kV line financed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union and the Agence Francaise de Developmentpement.

The construction phase of the project is expected to create more than 500 jobs.

Savannah expects to finance the Project from a combination of its own internally generated cash flows and project-specific debt.

Sani Mahamadou, Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Renewable Energies of the Republic of Niger, said: “I am delighted to announce today our plans for the development of Parc Eolien de la Tarka.

“This is a truly transformational project for Niger, which could significantly increase power generation capacity in the country’s grid.

“Such a project is expected to spur a significant increase in economic activity across our country, directly and indirectly creating thousands of jobs over the course of the next decade.”