Energie du Mali said it would buy electricity generated by the photovoltaic plant that Orange is building at Kati. It will have a capacity of 25MW with 30MWh of storage capacity.
That storage means that solar electricity will be available at night. Energie du Mali will consume Orange’s spare power between 19:00 and 01:00 every night, said Oumar Diarra, general manager of the energy company.
The scheme is related to Orange Mali’s Engage 2025 strategic plan, by which it intends to meet 50% of its demand through renewable sources by 2025 – compared with 11% today.
Orange Mali has obtained approval from the Ministry of Mines, Energy and Water to install the solar power station, which will be on a 40-hectare site at Kali, about 300km north-east of Bamako, the capital of Mali.
The deal will allow the Malian government to move closer to its objective of increasing the share of renewable energies in the national energy mix.
