• Chad inaugurated the 50 MW Noor solar plant, but only 12 MW can feed into the grid due to outdated infrastructure.
• The project highlights the country’s fragile transmission network, with just 467 km of medium-voltage lines and two substations.
• The government aims to raise electricity access from 12% in 2023 to 90% by 2030, with 30% renewables in the mix.

Chad inaugurated the 50 MW Noor Tchad photovoltaic plant on September 27, built by Global South Utilities (GSU), a UAE-based company. Located in Djarmaya, the facility represents a major step for a country where oil accounted for 98% of power generation in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency.

Only 12 MW of the plant’s capacity can currently feed into the Tchadelec grid because of the poor condition of the transmission and distribution network. The remaining 38 MW will stay idle until completion of the 25 kV Lamadji transformer, a project launched in 2020 and expected within 45 days. GSU also plans to deliver an additional 50 kV transformer to further expand transmission capacity.

This bottleneck underscores one of Chad’s main energy challenges: insufficient transmission infrastructure. The country has 487 MW of installed generation but only 467 km of medium-voltage lines and two substations. The World Bank estimates that just 12% of Chadians had access to electricity in 2023, with 48% in urban areas and less than 1% in rural regions.

The government targets 90% electricity access by 2030 by adding 866 MW of new capacity and raising the share of renewables to 30%. Officials say Noor Tchad aligns with this strategy. However, without major investment in grid expansion, new generation risks remaining underutilized, potentially deterring investors.

This article was initially published in French by Abdoullah Diop

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum