Guinea, EBID Fund Rural Hydro Power

Key Figures & Findings: Guinea has secured €95.16 million from the ECOWAS Bank for Investment and Development (EBID) to build three micro-hydroelectric power stations in the central Mamou region, as the country battles widespread power shortages and a fragile national grid. The plants—located in Poukou, Bolokoun, and Biwbaw—are part of a larger national push to meet Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7) and achieve universal energy access by 2030. The project will be led by SOGEOH, Guinea’s energy infrastructure body under the Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du Fleuve Sénégal (OMVS), with local firms handling engineering and civil works. This marks one of Guinea’s most significant decentralized energy moves in a grid system historically reliant on large-scale hydroelectric dams like Kaléta and Souapiti.

Statistics & Insights: The micro-hydro plants will collectively deliver 30 MW of capacity and are expected to directly improve access for Guinea’s underserved rural regions, where electrification was just 19.1% in 2022.

Future Implications: If executed on schedule, the project could sharply reduce rural blackouts and lower grid dependency by 2028. It may also help electrify over 700,000 households as envisioned in Guinea’s national electrification plan.

Source: Ecofin Agency