• Madagascar has issued a Request for Pre-qualification (RFQ) as part of a 25 MW solar power project tender to be set up near the capital city of Antananarivo
  • It is the first PV project with battery storage requirement under the World Bank’s Scaling Solar initiative
  • The Ministry of Water, Energy and Hydrocarbons (MEEH) has set January 10, 2018 as the last day for RFQ documents to be submitted

Madagascar’s Ministry of Water, Energy and Hydrocarbons (MEEH) has issued a Request for Pre-qualification (RFQ) for a 25 MW solar PV project. It will be located near the capital city of Antananarivo. The project is being set up under the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Scaling Solar Program that will help the country build a 30 to 40 MW solar facility. IFC will act as the lead counsel for the project.

This fourth Scaling Solar project in Africa is special as it is the first to have battery storage requirements in addition to solar power generation as part of the tender.

The scope of work will include design, financing, construction, commissioning and operation of the plant. Winning bidder will sign a PPA with local utility Jiro Sy Rano Malagasy (JIRAMA).

Interested bidders can register with MEEH to purchase RFQ documents. Last date to submit the documents is January 10, 2018. Once the ministry shortlists the bidders, they will receive a Request for Proposals (RFP).

Further tender details are available in French on the website of Scaling Solar.

With the Madagascar tender, Scaling Solar has launched its fourth PV tender in Africa. Recently, the Government of Ethiopia launched a tender for two PV projects of 125 MW capacity as part of Scaling Solar (see 250 MW ‘Scaling Solar’ Tender In Ethiopia).

 Madagascar has 540 MW of power generation capacity and only 15.4% of its population has access to electricity, according to the World Bank. The country aims to produce 85% of its power from renewable sources by 2030, as part of its New Energy Policy (NEP), according to the Africa-EU Renewable Energy Cooperation Programme (RECP). It heavily depends on hydroelectric and diesel power plants to generate power.