Saudi Arabian energy developer ACWA Power has since won a 250MW duo of all World Bank-backed solar jobs in eastern Ethiopia.
The firm was among five companies that submitted proposals for the projects, following the Ethiopian fund ministry’s public-private venture directorate general launched a request for proposals in April.
Ethiopia’s finance ministry claims the US$0.02526-per-kWh tariff offered by the firm for the 2 sites is”the lowest in Africa and among the lowest internationally”
The Gad and Dicheto projects are planned for the eastern regional countries of Somali and Afar, and are a part of a six-project portfolio that make up round two of Ethiopia’s Scaling Solar programme. The projects have 750MW of joint capacity and a price tag of US$798 million.
Round among the programme was launched in 2017 and involved two solar projects totalling 250MW.
Scaling Solar programmes will also be active in Senegal, Zambia and Madagascar.
ACWA Power is currently a developer, investor and operator of power production and desalinated water production plants in Africa, the Middle East and south-west Asia.
Ethiopia wants to install 300MW of solar by 2020, up from the entire PV capacity of 11MW recorded by IRENA statistics.
