A technician installing the solar batteries and UPS....
Burkina Faso faces significant challenges in its electrical power sector. The situation is particularly dire in rural areas, where access to electricity remains limited. According to data from the World Bank, Burkina Faso has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world.
At the national level, Burkina Faso's electrification rate is around 18.8% as of the latest World Bank statistics. This figure highlights the substantial gap between Burkina Faso and other developing countries, where the average electrification rate stands significantly higher. The urban areas fare somewhat better, with approximately 60% of the population having access to electricity. However, even in urban centers, the supply is often unreliable, with frequent outages hampering daily life and economic activities.
In rural areas, the electrification rate plummets to around 3%, leaving the vast majority of rural populations without access to electricity. This disparity underscores a significant urban-rural divide, with rural communities facing profound energy poverty. The lack of infrastructure, coupled with the high cost of extending the national grid to remote areas, has left millions without power.
The absence of reliable electricity in Burkina Faso poses several challenges and constraints to economic development. In particular, many schools in rural areas lack electricity, which affects the quality of education. Students are unable to study after dark, and schools cannot utilize modern educational tools and technologies.
Burkina Faso experiences high solar irradiance, receiving about 5.5 to 6 kWh/m²/day on average. This translates to approximately 3,000 hours of sunshine annually, making it an ideal candidate for solar energy projects.
L2H finances an off-grid, scalable solar energy projects that will in a first stage provide electricity to the elementary school of the FMM sisters in Bobo-Dioulasso. The project will be expanded in further stages to provide electricity to the secondary school classes and the convent.
