• Benin outages linked to regional interconnection technical constraints

• Imports met 83% of consumption in 2023, IEA says

• Government plans solar, thermal expansion to cut reliance

Benin’s state-owned power companies said on Tuesday that electricity disruptions affecting the country for several weeks are due to technical limitations in regional power interconnections that are temporarily undermining national grid stability.

In a joint statement, Société béninoise de production d’électricité (SBPE) and Société béninoise d’énergie électrique (SBEE) said the constraints were affecting cross-border power flows.

The situation echoes findings set out in the “National Energy Pact” published in September 2025 under Mission 300. The document highlights insufficient domestic generation capacity, leaving Benin heavily reliant on electricity imports and exposed to regional supply shocks.

Data from the International Energy Agency (IEA) underscore that vulnerability. In 2023, net electricity imports accounted for 83.3% of final consumption. Electricity generation relied mainly on natural gas, which represented 69% of output that year. The Pact also notes that gas supply is itself constrained by infrastructure limitations.

To address these structural weaknesses, Benin plans to install 126 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity and add 265 MW of thermal generation by 2030, raising the share of renewables to 30% of the power mix. The government also aims to increase the electricity access rate to at least 70%, from 42.6% at the end of 2024, by connecting nearly 928,000 additional households.

Authorities are also developing LNG storage capacity to diversify supply sources and reduce dependence on existing infrastructure.

Abdoullah Diop