Côte d'Ivoire awards 50 MW solar project at record tariff

Côte d'Ivoire concluded a competitive tender awarding a 50 MW solar PV plant in Boundiali at a record low tariff of USD 0.029 per kilowatt-hour under a public-private partnership. The auction, structured under the IFC and World Bank Scaling Solar programme, offers a replicable model for integrating green finance and competitive procurement that resonates with India's own utility-scale solar tenders.

The Government of Côte d'Ivoire concluded a competitive bidding process for a utility-scale solar photovoltaic plant, resulting in a record low tariff of USD 0.029 per kilowatt-hour, the lowest ever recorded for a solar project in the country. Located in Boundiali in the northern region, the project will be developed under a public-private partnership framework, coordinated by the Ministry of Mines, Petroleum, and Energy with the Ivorian Renewable Energy Agency (ANER-CI) and national utility CI-Energies. The plant will have 50 MW installed capacity, generating approximately 90 GWh annually.

The project affects the winning international consortium, CI-Energies, local communities, and households gaining cleaner, cheaper electricity. The developer will design, build, finance, and operate the facility under a long-term power purchase agreement and must comply with national and international environmental and social safeguards. Strict ESG clauses mandate biodiversity protection, responsible land-use planning, and stakeholder engagement throughout the lifecycle. The bidding was conducted under the IFC and World Bank Group's Scaling Solar programme, which provided transaction-structuring expertise and risk-mitigation instruments, with financing blending commercial debt and concessional climate funding.

The developer should advance design, financing, and construction under the PPA while meeting ESG safeguard clauses on biodiversity, land use, and stakeholder engagement, and plan for grid integration with provisions for future battery storage. The project supports Côte d'Ivoire's target of 42% renewable energy in the national mix by 2030 and is expected to cut annual CO2 emissions by an estimated 45,000 tonnes, contributing to its Paris Agreement NDCs. Regional governments should study the Scaling Solar model as a replicable template for competitive renewable procurement.

Key figure — Record tariff: USD 0.029 per kilowatt-hour for the 50 MW Boundiali solar plant