The current energy situation in Burkina Faso is not scalable or sustainable from both an environmental and an economic standpoint – due to subsidies and imports. The country is currently deploying a strategy that could satisfy the growing needs of the economy as well as support the goal of reaching universal energy access. Burkina Faso has sufficient renewable energy potential to meet its national targets. The renewable energy projects currently identified in the country’s pipeline are based primarily on grid-tied solar photovoltaics, as it is affordable, scalable and can be deployed over short time frames.
Being well connected to its neighbours (Ghana, Ivory Coast and Togo), it has the potential to balance out its electricity imports from the regional grid. The key findings of this report indicate that employment in the energy sector could be a key socio-economic benefit of renewables in the country, as the informal economy represents a significant loss of national income. With adequate policies, renewable energy could provide avenues for technological innovation and the opening of new sectors for economic value creation. The NDC already emphasises the use of alternative and renewable energy sources to achieve this target.
Burkina Faso has developed a number of strategies for the energy sector, including the Renewable Energy Action Plan (PANER) of 2015 and the National Plan for Economic and Social Development (PNDES) of 2016. Currently, many of the success indicators that would demonstrate compliance to the implementation trajectory are not met. Implementation is delayed related to national grid coverage, the national electrification rate, the share of renewables in total energy production, and the installed renewable capacity.
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