• Mark Cables completes 200 MW thermal power plant in Burkina Faso
• €180 million project aims to stabilise grid, cut electricity imports
• Part of broader push to boost generation amid low electrification rates

Mark Cables, a Dubai-based industrial group, announced on Monday, Jan. 26, that it had completed a 200-megawatt (MW) thermal power plant in Burkina Faso.

The project cost an estimated 180 million euros ($213 million) and was completed in six months, Mark Cables said in a statement. The group said the new plant will support government efforts to stabilise the grid and reduce reliance on imported electricity.

"By providing 200 MW of additional capacity, Mark Cables offers a practical response to the national power shortage," the group said.

Mark Cables is a subsidiary of Milbridge Group, a diversified industrial conglomerate. The parent company operates in sectors including cement, construction materials, real estate, and plastic manufacturing across several sub-Saharan African countries.

In Burkina Faso, the national electrification rate is estimated at 34.2%. The country remains dependent on electricity imports from coastal West African states, according to the latest data from the Ministry of Energy, Mines and Quarries.

Turkish group Aksa Enerji announced in late November 2025 plans for a 119 MW fuel-fired power plant in Ouagadougou. The project aims to meet growing electricity demand driven by urbanisation and population growth.

The Director General of the Société Nationale d'Électricité du Burkina Faso (SONABEL), Souleymane Ouédraogo, last week outlined a major development programme for electricity generation. The plan includes the construction of 12 thermal power plants, with one planned in each region of the country.

"SONABEL expects an additional capacity of 515 MW by 2028," he said. He added that the objective is to secure electricity supply, improve service quality, and reduce power cuts, particularly in areas dependent on interconnection lines.

Walid Kéfi