Guinea is preparing its first tender for photovoltaics and battery storage , with an initial capacity of 400 MW , marking a new step towards opening the market to private investment in renewable generation.
The Ministry of Energy signed an agreement with RELP to design, structure and prepare the process together with the National Directorate of Renewable Energies (DNER).
The initiative aims to combine new solar capacity with BESS systems and aligns with the country's energy and development strategy, including the Simandou 2040 roadmap and the Mission 300 national pact.
RELP will provide technical, legal, regulatory, and financial assistance during the preparation of the process. This collaboration will include everything from integration studies to the preparation of the necessary documentation to launch the competition.
The instruments planned include expressions of interest, requests for proposals, power purchase agreements and guarantee agreements , key components for structuring bankable projects and attracting private capital.
DNER will be the technical counterpart of the program and will also work on updating the 2021 CAPSIM solar integration study, with support from specialists in different areas.
“Diversifying our energy mix and ensuring a reliable and affordable electricity supply is fundamental to Guinea’s development aspirations,” said Laye Sékou Camara , Minister of Energy.
The official added that the agreement is part of the path defined by the country to meet its long-term energy and economic commitments.
Solar and BESS are entering into the same hiring strategy
One of the central points will be the sizing of the storage and its integration with the photovoltaic expansion.
The planned assistance will not be limited to auction design. Capacity-building activities will also be provided for the DNER, Électricité de Guinée, the Rural Electrification Agency, and the national energy regulator.
The training will cover auction design and implementation, energy planning, renewable integration, battery sizing, and project financing .
The first phase of the program will have a reference point of 400 MW between solar generation and storage , although the information released so far does not detail how that capacity will be divided between photovoltaics and BESS, nor the final schedule for the call for proposals.
Nor were the economic conditions of the future contracts, the duration of the PPAs, or the criteria that will be used to define the awarded projects specified at this time.
The structuring will seek to resolve precisely those points before the formal launch of the process.
With this step, Guinea joins other West African markets where RELP works with governments on competitive renewable contracting schemes, including Ghana, Togo and Senegal.