A major Russian energy company is constructing a solar power facility in Africa.

According to Energy and Water Resources Minister Bintu Kamara, NovaWind, the wind energy division of Russia’s energy giant Rosatom, has initiated the construction of a 200 megawatt (MW) solar power plant in Mali. Minister Kamara stated in an interview with the national broadcaster ORTM on Friday that the facility, covering 314 hectares of land in Sanankoroba near the capital, Bamako, will be the largest in the West African subregion.

Kamara mentioned that the solar plant aims to significantly alleviate the current electricity shortage in Mali, where 70% of the electricity is presently generated from thermal plants. As per the latest World Bank data, approximately half of Mali's 21.9 million population currently has access to electricity, with plans to increase access to 90% by 2036.

During the signing of the agreement with NovaWind in March, Malian Minister of Economy Alousseni Sano highlighted the financial burden of relying on thermal power and expressed optimism about the solar project's potential impact.

NovaWind's director Grigory Nazarov indicated that the solar plant, with a cost of €200 million ($217 million), will augment Mali’s electricity production by 10%, with construction expected to last a year and operations projected to span two decades. Mali's Ministry of Energy will assume full control of the plant ten years after its inauguration.

The collaboration with Russia on the solar project is seen by the Malian government as a significant stride toward diversifying its energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels. Mali's military government has praised Russia as a strategic partner, signing agreements for nuclear energy development and cooperation with Rosatom, alongside Burkina Faso and Algeria, in March.