In Mali, the West African Development Bank (BOAD) is approving a loan of 15 billion CFA francs (around €23 million) for the construction of the Kourouba hydroelectric plant and its connection to the electricity grid of the state-owned company Energie du Mali (EDM).
The facility, which will be located 90 km from the capital Bamako, will be equipped with 12 “Very Low Head” type turbines and will have a capacity of 3.9 MW. The project, which will start in 2022, is partially financed by BOAD and will provide electricity to 20,000 people in Kourouba, Gouala and Tiakadougou Faraba, in the southwest of the country, where a 33 KV evacuation line will also be constructed.
The construction of the Kourouba mini-hydro plant is part of the Euro 46.2 million BOAD-financed Solar Rural Electrification Project (PERS) in Mali. The initiative aims to electrify 70 rural communities with stand-alone solar systems and support access to financial services for productive use of energy. Its implementation will benefit approximately 311,000 rural residents in six regions of Mali.