The Noor Chad 50 MW Solar PV (Photovoltaic) Plant in N’Djamena, developed by Abu Dhabi-based Global South Utilities (GSU), will now provide clean electricity to 274,000 homes in the African country. It is also the first such renewable facility of this scale in this part of the world. Executed in record time, it marks a major milestone in the country’s energy sector and a starting point for future green projects.
The facility integrates 50 MW of Solar PV energy with a 5 megawatt-hour Battery Energy Storage System (BESS). The plant will offset 1.36 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over its lifetime.
GSU, a resources investment company, said the plant, which integrates 50 MW of solar PV with a 5 megawatt-hour BESS, will provide reliable, large-scale clean power to meet rising demand for electricity, displacing over 1.36 million tonnes of carbon dioxide over the lifetime of the plant and reducing Chad’s reliance on imported diesel.
“This is the first project we have delivered from signature to commissioning in Africa. It proves how quickly these markets can move when there is determination and effective partnerships that turn challenges into opportunities. At its heart, this project is about people; about enabling families, communities, and nations to thrive with the stability that clean power brings,” Ali Alshimmari, CEO and Managing Director of GSU, said, as reported by Zawya.
The project, completed in record time, reportedly involved over 350,000 safe work-hours and the installation of over 81,000 solar panels and 158 inverters. GSU said Noor Chad will serve as a model for future renewable projects in the African country and will be part of its wider clean energy portfolio across Africa, reinforcing the Gulf nation’s commitment to sustainable development in the Global South.
Regarding Chad’s clean energy ambitions, the African nation aims to deploy 520 MW of new solar by the end of the current decade. The target forms part of the country’s national development plan, “Chad Connection 2030,” launched earlier in 2025.
Envisioning its realisation through 17 development programmes, the plan aims to mobilise a total of USD 30 billion across public and private investments to aid growth across the African country’s economy.
“The electricity strand of the development programme sets a goal of 886 MW of additional installed power by the end of the decade, including 520 MW of solar. The new power installations are expected to increase the share of renewable energy in Chad’s generation mix to between 20% and 30%, up from 9% in 2024. Chad has one of the lowest electricity access rates in the world, standing at 11% in 2022. The target installations are expected to increase the access rate to 60% nationwide and to up to 90% in provincial capitals,” reported PV Magazine recently.
While solar has been identified as the main technology to assist with Chad’s electricity transition, leveraging the country’s abundant sunlight, the “Chad Connection 2030” plan also targets the construction of hybrid and thermal power plants.
Chad’s Ministry of Finance, Budget, Economy and Planning estimates a requirement for investments worth USD 1.1 billion to expand electricity production and distribution and to modernise electricity networks.
Chad’s solar sector is still in its infancy. The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) figures state that the country’s cumulative solar capacity stood at 2 MW at the end of 2024, the same figure reported since 2021.