Gabon has inaugurated its first utility-scale solar power facility, the Ayémé PV plant, located in the Plaine-Ayeme region, about 30 kilometers from the capital, Libreville. This marks a significant milestone in the country’s push toward renewable energy and sustainability.
The Ayémé PV plant, built and operated by Solen SA Gabon, a subsidiary of Dubai-based Solen Renewable, starts with an initial capacity of 11 MW. The plant is expected to be expanded to 30 MW in the near future under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the state-run utility, Société d’Energie et d’Eau du Gabon (SEEG). Once fully operational, the solar project is expected to supply clean energy to approximately 300,000 homes and create around 150 direct jobs.
The project, first announced in 2021, faced delays and significant funding cuts after construction began in August 2022. Originally planned as a 120 MW project, it was scaled back during development due to unforeseen challenges, including financial constraints.
At the inauguration ceremony, President Brice Oligui Nguema highlighted the importance of the project, calling it a symbol of Gabon’s commitment to combating climate change and fostering sustainable development. He emphasized that the plant represents a major step in modernizing the country’s energy sector, which has historically been reliant on hydropower, natural gas, and oil.
“This project marks a key milestone in the production and distribution of clean, sustainable energy, demonstrating our commitment to improving access to electricity while addressing climate change,” President Nguema said.
Gabon’s current energy mix is predominantly based on hydropower (47.7%), followed by natural gas (35%), oil (16.9%), and biofuels (0.3%), according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). However, the country has made little progress in solar energy, with just 1 MW of installed solar capacity reported at the end of 2022, a figure that has remained unchanged since 2021.
The inauguration of the Ayémé PV plant represents a turning point, positioning Gabon as a growing player in the renewable energy sector in Central Africa.
