Solar power helps Niger’s capital keep power cuts at bay
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00:00 55,000 solar panels have been set up across Niger as part of the 30-megawatt Gurubanda
00:06 solar power plant.
00:08 It now supplies electricity to hundreds of thousands of households in Niamey and other
00:13 parts of southwestern Niger.
00:15 Whole communities used to suffer almost daily power outages and many say it's already getting
00:21 better.
00:22 "In every neighborhood of Niamey, we've seen a significant improvement in the quality of
00:27 electricity supply since the commissioning of the photovoltaic power plant.
00:33 There are almost no more power cuts.
00:36 During the load-shedding periods, we went through tough times.
00:40 At night, children could only study using the light from our phones or with a flashlight."
00:44 The same story echoes among Niamey's business owners.
00:50 They've all suffered losses with expensive equipment destroyed by power cuts and surges.
00:58 "I lost 33 euros for the voltage regulator and 480 for the refrigerator and the dairy
01:09 products went bad.
01:10 Now we're saving money because there's no need to rely on a generator anymore and buy
01:14 fuel to keep some products fresh."
01:20 The launch of the plant was delayed after most of its foreign technical staff left the
01:25 country following a coup in July.
01:27 But Nigerian authorities are confident they have the resources to operate the plant smoothly.
01:34 "Niger has competent engineers in this field.
01:39 We've been in the energy sector for over 30 years, I would even say for more than 50 years.
01:44 So the expertise is here."
01:48 An expertise that will soon be put to the test.
01:50 Before the political crisis and the sanctions imposed by ECOWAS, 70% of Niger's electricity
01:56 came from Nigeria.
01:58 But now, Gurubanda has become a cornerstone of energy supply in the region.
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