Apr 1, 2023 · Approximately 131,920 people could be supplied with electricity from a 10 MW utility-scale photovoltaic power plant in Benin. Photovoltaic power plants'' levelized cost of energy
Jul 21, 2025 · Benin''s plans to expand its solar power capacity by 150 MW by 2026 represent a significant step forward in the country''s renewable energy efforts. The planned projects will
Photovoltaic power plants' levelized cost of energy ranges from 0.11 USD/kWh to 0.125 USD/kWh. Incentives and subsidies could lower the levelized cost of energy and increase solar photovoltaic investment in Benin. About 60.0% of Benin's population currently lacks access to reliable electricity to perform their daily activities.
Despite the country's abundant solar resources, only 8.0 MW of solar capacity had been installed by 2017 (Mensah et al., 2022). The cities in the northern parts of Benin have the highest solar energy potential. However, these cities have the lowest access rates to electricity (Odou et al., 2020).
The Benin Republic has abundant solar energy resource, which could be harnessed efficiently to increase its access rate to electricity and improve living standards. This study evaluates the techno-economic viability of installing a 10.0 MW utility-scale grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV) system in seven cities located in Benin.
Besides, current projects on off-grid rural electrification in Benin, specifically Solar Energy Promotion Project (PROVES) and Renewable Energy Development Program (PRODERE), are based on stand-alone solar PV/battery only. Such a combination makes the overall cost high due to a big battery storage required to ensure reliable power supply.
According to the World Bank (2022a), Benin's annual electricity consumption per capita is about 100.225 kWh. This indicates that approximately 131,920 people could be supplied with electricity from the 10.0 MW solar power plant using 13,221.7 MWh as the benchmark.
Regarding the country's energy sector, more effort is needed to reach the universal energy access goal . Benin Republic currently has one of the lowest national electrification rate in SSA (only about 30.4%), with a strong disparity in favour of urban areas closer to the main grid [17, 18].
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