Ivory Coast laid the first stone for a 52-megawatt-peak (MWp) solar power plant at Tongon, in the northern M’Bengué district, on Friday 23 October 2026. The project, developed by Tongon Solaire SAS, is valued at CFA33 billion. The Ministry of Mines, Petroleum and Energy expects it to enter service no later than mid-2028.
Energy Minister Mamadou Sangafowa-Coulibaly led the ceremony, which marks an official milestone rather than the commissioning of an operating plant. Actual construction work is scheduled to begin in 2027, according to the Ivorian government’s account of the event.
The solar installation is planned for a site of roughly 50 hectares. Its developer is wholly Ivorian-owned and expects to employ around 500 people during construction. The minister called for local residents of M’Bengué to receive priority in recruitment, with outside workers hired only when the necessary skills cannot be found locally.
Once connected to the electricity grid, the plant is expected to help supply about 300,000 people, according to government estimates. The project is also projected to avoid roughly 39,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually. Both estimates depend on the facility actually becoming operational.
The Tongon ceremony followed the laying of the first stone at a separate 50 MWp solar project in Katiola the previous day. Ivory Coast is targeting a 45% share of renewable energy in its electricity mix by 2030. Its installed solar power capacity currently stands at 136 MW, according to figures released by the energy ministry.