Niger is creating a new “power alliance” through inviting other West African countries to participate in a huge coal-fired power station project. Earlier this month, Niger’s Energy Minister Amadou Haoua visited the nations of Mali and Burkina Faso to invite them to participate in the Salkadamna Coal Project. It could produce as much as 5.32 GW of electric power which would easily eliminate the energy poverty of a region where only 30% of the population has access to electricity. Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso have joined together to form the Confederation of Sahel States which includes very deep security and economic cooperation, and the launching of joint infrastructure projects.
Niger’s energy minister has also visited the West African state of Togo in August, extending that nation an invitation to participate in the project. Haoua’s delegation met with the President of the Council of Ministers Faure Gnassingbé in Lomé. “We are on a sub-regional tour to invite friendly and brotherly countries to join us in a new dynamic involving a 5,200 MW modular electricity capacity project, Haoua said. This partnership aims to accelerate progress toward energy independence in the sub-region.
Welcoming the invitation to join the project, Togo’s Minister of Mines and Energy Resources Robert Eklo said participation would be in line with Togo’s intention to achieve universal electricity access by 2030. He described the Salkadamna project as “both an integrated and integrating project.” He explained it combines coal mining, power generation, and energy export networks involving the Alliance of Sahel States, Togo, and Chad. Eklo also called the project “inclusive,” uniting multiple countries with everything essential included in one plan. At present, Togo relies heavily on diesel and imported fuel oil for electricity, which is highly expensive.
