Dutch company Gigawatt Global said it will spend $2-billion to generate 1 000 MW of solar power in Africa by 2020 after launching the largest photovoltaic field in East Africa at a village in Rwanda.
African nations are racing to mobilise funds to invest in new power plants and utilities after decades of under-investment had resulted in inadequate power supply.
The solar field, 60 km outside Kigali, was built for $23.7-million, will produce 8.5 MW and increase Rwanda’s power generation capacity by about 6%, said Yosef Abramowitz, Gigawatt’s president.
Abramowitz countries such as Burundi could benefit from the planned power generation expansion.
Power from Rwanda’s photovoltaic field will connect more people to the grid in the country of about 11-million people where only 22% of the population have access to electricity.
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