00:00 In Ivory Coast, the development of renewable energy sources is one of the main tasks of
00:05 the Ministry of Energy.
00:06 In this sense, the African nation is promoting the use of solar power plants to contribute
00:10 to the development of the energy mix.
00:11 Let's find out about the first solar plant connected to the national grid.
00:17 Inaugurated in June 2023, Ivory Coast's first solar power plant is located in the
00:23 city of Boundi Ali, in the north of the country, and is the first to be connected to the national
00:28 grid as part of the West African country's commitment to clean energy without fossil
00:32 fuels, with the aim of improving electricity supply to more than 430,000 households, according
00:39 to the Ministry of Energy.
00:43 On the other hand, in Boundi Ali, the northern part of the country, irradiance is very high.
00:49 Irradiance is the quantity of light that the sky sends, that the forgiving sun sends to
00:53 the earth.
00:54 So we have a lot more of this quantity of light in the northern part of the country.
00:58 So the most appropriate place to build solar photovoltaic power plants is really in the
01:03 northern part of the country.
01:05 Unlike the more humid and cloudy south, the northern climate is warm and dry for much
01:10 of the year, which makes it very suitable for solar energy.
01:15 If we have several solar photovoltaic power stations, what will that do?
01:20 Relieve the transit of energy that passes through these lines from the south to the
01:23 north of the country.
01:25 So that's the importance of having.
01:28 And it contributes to the energy mix.
01:30 We're going to use water, gas, but also the sun.
01:34 We're going to make sure that wherever we invest, we have the maximum amount of electricity.
01:40 In this region of some 92,000 inhabitants, some 350 people have been hired since the
01:46 plant's construction began.
01:48 Most were hired on a short-term basis to install solar panels or perform maintenance tasks.
01:53 I like working here at the plant because I get paid well, I can feed my family and look
01:58 after people at home.
01:59 Well, I'd prefer the job to last a bit longer, but if it does, I'll really enjoy it.
02:06 Ivory Coast already exports about 10 percent of its electricity to neighboring countries
02:11 and aims to generate almost half of its power from renewable sources by 2030 in a continent
02:16 that although has doubled its capacity to produce clean energy, still account for only
02:20 2 percent of global capacity.
02:22 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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