Under Captain Ibrahim Traoré’s leadership, Burkina Faso transforms its energy sector
Under the leadership of Captain Ibrahim Traoré, Burkina Faso has embarked on a deep transformation of its energy sector. The objective is clear: achieve a 70% electrification rate by 2030 and reduce the country’s dependence on electricity imports.
On September 10, 2026, the Council of Ministers adopted a report authorizing financing for sectoral initiatives worth more than 104 billion CFA francs (nearly 185 million dollars). These resources will strengthen the operational capacities of the National Electricity Company (SONABEL) and the new Faso Vêenem Agency, tasked with supporting the expansion of transmission and distribution networks.
The Minister of Energy, Yacouba Zabré Gouba, specified that this project aims to “make available to SONABEL and the Faso Vêenem Agency the equipment and infrastructure necessary to ensure network expansion.” The stakes are high: the electrification rate in rural areas did not exceed 10.21% in 2024, compared to 87.83% in urban areas.
To achieve its objectives, the government is relying on a dual approach. On the one hand, the commissioning of new thermal power plants. In July and August 2026, the plants in Pabré, Bobo-Dioulasso, Koudougou, and Kaya were inaugurated, adding a total capacity of 126.4 MW to the national grid. The overall cost of these infrastructures is estimated at approximately 200 billion CFA francs.
On the other hand, solar energy occupies a central place. The Donsin photovoltaic plant, with a capacity of 25 MW coupled to a 5 MW/20 MWh battery storage system, showed a physical execution rate of 72.1% as of June 30, 2026, for an overall cost of nearly 30 billion CFA francs. In Koudougou, a solar plant of 20 to 30 MW is under development, with financing from the West African Development Bank.
This energy offensive is part of the RELANCE 2026-2030 Plan, which aims to triple national energy capacity, from 685 MW to more than 2,500 MW. Minister Gouba emphasized that these achievements are “the concrete expression of a political will: to make energy a major lever for sovereignty, resilience, and endogenous development in Burkina Faso.”
By multiplying investments in energy infrastructure, Burkina Faso is charting the path toward lasting electrical autonomy—an indispensable condition for its industrialization and the improvement of its populations’ living conditions.
