In West Africa, the energy transition is gaining momentum as more medium-sized solar power plants come online. These projects, led by independent producers, are becoming the new standard, giving countries a fresh way to reduce their reliance on imported energy and diversify their power sources.

Medium-sized solar power plants, ranging from 10 to 100 MW, are becoming the preferred format for strengthening power grids in West Africa. This trend is highlighted by the recent announcement from Axian Energy and Sika Capital to build four photovoltaic plants totaling 50 MWac in Benin. The €45 million project is part of the country's goal to have renewables account for 30% of its national energy mix by 2030.

This intermediate format, which is neither too small nor overly ambitious, addresses financing and grid integration constraints in countries where demand is growing rapidly but infrastructure remains fragile. The plants are large enough to power tens of thousands of homes, yet their size makes them more accessible to lenders who favor projects that can be quickly made bankable.

The trend is gaining traction across the region. In Togo, the Blitta power plant, which was commissioned in 2021 with an initial capacity of 50 MW, now stands at 70 MW with 4 MWh of storage, and a new phase is underway to bring its total capacity to 100 MW. In Senegal, construction began in May 2025 on NEA Kolda, a 60 MW plant with a 72 MWh storage system.

Côte d'Ivoire is also pursuing several similar projects, including solar plants in Bondoukou (50 MWp) and FERKÉ SOLAR (52.42 MWp). The country also launched tenders in June 2025 for two projects in Dabakala and Niakaramandougou (each 100 MWp with 33 MWh of storage).

Burkina Faso confirmed this dynamic with the commissioning of the 26.6 MW Zina solar plant in May 2024, which joins several other operational plants in the country. Nations like Mali and Gambia are also following this trend. This proliferation of projects is accompanied by a clear structuring of key players.

Developers like Axian Energy, AMEA Power, Qair, and PFO Énergies are positioning themselves as regional solar champions. Financial backers, including the Emerging Africa Infrastructure Fund, the Dutch development finance institution (FMO), the West African Development Bank (BOAD), the World Bank, and the African Development Bank (AfDB), play a decisive role in securing debt and sharing risks.

Finally, national operators like Senegal's SENELEC, Côte d'Ivoire's CI-Énergies, and Burkina Faso's SONABEL remain central to the model as the sole purchasers of the electricity. The convergence of these players around this format confirms a new phase in West Africa's energy transition. By multiplying projects of a manageable and reproducible size, the region is building a gradual solar capacity that, while not revolutionizing power mixes overnight, is permanently installing renewables at the heart of national grids.

Abdoullah Diop