In line with the New Deal on Energy for Africa, the African Development Bank has approved US$324 million in loan support to two renewable energy projects in Morocco and Côte d'Ivoire that are expected to significantly increase power supplies and keep economic growth on track.

Scaling up investments in energy is the African Development Bank Group's top High 5 priority, in a continent where more than 600 million people do not have access to electricity. The New Deal on Energy for Africa is a partnership-driven effort with the aspirational goal of achieving universal access to energy in Africa by 2025.

For Morocco, the Bank's commitment of US$ 265 million will help develop two solar power plants (NOORM I and NOORM II) at a total cost of €2.048 billion with a cumulative capacity of 800 MW, under a public-private partnership (PPP). The solar plants will be connected to the national grid, and will guarantee electricity supplies to more than 2 million Moroccans (approximately 6% of the country's population) and significantly reduce CO2 emissions. The investment is part of the Bank's continued support to Morocco's US$ 3 billion NOOR solar energy program.

The Côte d'Ivoire Singrobo-Ahouaty project involves the design, construction and operation of a 44-MW hydropower plant on the Bandama River. The country's dynamic economy is exerting pressure on power supply, with demand projected to grow by 8-9% annually. To meet rising domestic and regional demand, Côte d'Ivoire intends to significantly raise its generation capacity, including hydropower.

Moroccans Describe Impact of the World’s Largest Solar Complex

The Noor Ouarzazate plant (NOORo), supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB) among other donors, is a keystone of Morocco's solar Program (named Program Noor) to develop 2 GW by 2020 and create transformational impact on Morocco and the region. In the short documentary video below, AfDB revisits the project to talk to some its beneficiaries who assess the impact the project has had on Morocco.  More about the AfDB in this BRIEFING. 

The approval of both projects underscores the Bank's focus on renewable energy in Africa. This year alone the Bank's investments will contribute to 1.4 GW of additional generation capacity exclusively from renewable energy sources.

"These approvals demonstrate once again the Bank's leadership on renewable energy in Africa." President Akinwumi Adesina stated. "These projects will be essential to achieving the countries' Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement. I believe this sends a strong message ahead of the One Planet Summit on Climate next week in Paris".

In addition to utility-scale renewable energy generations projects, the Bank's interventions in 2017 covered all facets of renewable energy:

The African Development Bank's energy agenda continues to attract international support. In October, the Bank's first "Light Up and Power Africa" theme Bond for SEK 733 million (approximately JPY 10 billion) was issued and sold to Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company Limited, the sole investor in the transaction. The bond supports the bank's ambition of bridging the continent's energy deficit.